Love Atrocious
by Yih
Summary: [COMPLETE HPSS] AU.Harry has been heads over heels in love with Lucius Malfoy, the SEXY and ARROGANT actor for the past 5 years. Too bad Lucius doesn't notice, but Severus Snape, snarky fashion designer, is going to SWEEP Harry off his feet.
1. Of First Impressions that DO NOT Impress

LOVE ATROCIOUS

by Yih

* * *

This is the _Correction #1_.  This is still un-beta'd by anyone but myself, so any errors you see are entirely mine.  Harry is a "boy".  This is a "slash".  If there's any references to him being a female, those are incorrect (a problem with transferring this from an original to a fanfic conversion).  The original is better than the fanfic, since some of the stuff doesn't translate right so I either cut it off or modify it.  Lastly, I will be updating this whenever I find the type to finish transcribing it from one form to another.  Because of all the complaints on confusion, I'll take more time on Chapter 2.  Thanks for your patience, considering the length of this. I think additional time waiting for it shouldn't be too painful.  As for POVs, it only shifts when the other character is in the process of talking or has spoken already.  hope this clears up any confusion.  

* * *

**Noxious**

You're a poison  
Infiltrating and contaminating  
You ruin everything you touch  
You've destroyed me  
Crippled me; broken me

I'm still here  
I don't know why  
I stay and wait to break  
One more time, twice again  
I think it's love

A cruel and atrocious fiend  
Feed by foolery  
It's my folly  
I'm at the verge  
Do I dare?

It's in my system  
I'm tainted; I'm spoiled  
You've gotten to me  
I can't let go  
Why is love _you_?

* * *

Chapter 1   
_Of First Impressions that DO NOT Impress_

**1**, 2, 3, 4, 5, **oh no**, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, **oh god**, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, **shit**, 16, 17.

"Mr. Malfoy, I _do not_ appreciate your tardiness. You were ordered to be here at 10:00, it's 10:17. That is not 10:00. Your disregard for the court shows contempt and insolence, I will not put up with it."

Harsh court, honest judge--- that was Judge Albus Dumbledore--- not a man to displease. Lucius had done it this time. As if it wasn't bad enough that a good portion of the media was casting Narcissa in a favorable light, his time as the press darling was short circuiting after a lengthy stint. Why oh why did he have to come late? Didn't he understand that prodding at a judge's particular peeve was not going to aid his divorce settlement? 

God, he wanted to strangle the arrogant bastard. If he could just get his fingers wrapped around his pale, aristocratic throat--- he'd squeeze every bit of oxygen out of his breathing passages. He would. He would! Screw the fact that Lucius was _his_ boss and that he paid _his_ wages--- he was a fucking idiot when he no right to be! 

What he wouldn't give for some black coffee to sooth the nerves that were pinched into distress. He needed his fix. A fix he did. He forced himself not to rock on his heels (a favorite way to lose excessive nervous energy), now wasn't the time for bad habits, nor was it the time to bite his nails (a vile addiction that kept _him_ from wanting to claw Lucius) or chew his bottom lip (an unfavorable inclination that left him with a bloody mess). 

"Judge Dumbledore," Harry began sincerely, "Mr. Malfoy did not mean to be."

"I do _apologize_," Lucius dripped with insincerity, "for inconveniencing." 

Rap. da. Rap. da. Rap. "SILENCE!" 

Papers stopped shuffling; fingers quit drumming; bodies stayed still. Ice bitch and cold queen Narcissa arched a challenging brow towards her to-be-ex-husband of more than a decade of years. Harry knew the look. It was a _who's won now, you ass of a bastard?_ If he were anywhere other than the courtroom where they were to decide the fate of many of millions--- he'd applaud the former Mrs. Malfoy. Narcissa had gotten something out of the farce of a marriage after all--- a version of Lucius's punishing glares.

"I do not want you to speak," a sharp warning to Harry, "since _this affair_ does not concern you, and you, Mr. Malfoy," a severe glower, "I will not put up with that tone of voice in my court. Is that understood?" 

"It is," Harry murmured, taking a step back and sitting down. This was out of his hands now. He only hoped that Lucius wouldn't do anything more moronic than what he'd already done. This was being conducted without lawyers and that crap in hopes of not dragging out the divorce proceedings. Just give Narcissa what she wants and this nightmare would be done with. 

"I apologize," Lucius stated with much more respect and dignity--- though none of it reached any sincerity of his eyes. He was not a first rate actor for nothing. His pretense was as good as real and only Harry knew that this wasn't at all genuine. "My tardiness was inexcusable. I would very much like the proceedings to be as swift as possible." 

"I think," Dumbledore began caustically, "we all _heavily_ desire that, Mr. Malfoy. This will all be done with if you agree to the terms that Ms. Malfoy has shown me. They _are_ reasonable for your twenty years of marriage."

"And the terms would be.?"

Many pages flipped. Glasses put on. Congested throat cleared. "You were married for twenty years, is that not so?"

"Yes." 

"You did not sign a prenuptial agreement, am I correct?"

If he hadn't been a preteen then, Harry would have drilled Lucius for his stupidity. No one who married someone for _convenience _dared to have the idiocy to not sign a damnable prenuptial agreement. What kind of dumb bastard was he? Harry gritted his teeth and bit his tongue so that he wouldn't scream at his boss. 

"No."

"You also have a son that is 14 years old, right?"

"Yes." Fists clenched with impatience. _Get on with the blasted terms!_ "His name is Draco." 

"Ah yes," Dumbledore murmured, turning more pages, "here we are. The terms."

"And they are?" he nearly snapped but kept the true edge out. _Do not anger the judge_, Harry had said. Keep the sarcasm out of the courtroom, and if necessary--- yell later but not here and not at this moment. It was a deep and terrible struggle but he managed. 

"Would you like do to the honors, Mrs. Malfoy?" Dumbledore offered. "I believe that you would know your terms best and as this is only a settlement with my presence required, I would rather leave this to you."

"I would much prefer it. Thank you," Narcissa replied smoothly, opening up the folder in front of her and only glancing down briefly before fixating her cool gaze at Lucius. "The terms are quite reasonable, Lucius. I could take much more than this, but I really don't have the need for it as I was well off before I met you and I am still well off without you. But then again, why would I want to leave this arrangement without having gained something?"

What a bitch, what a _bloody_--- _bloody_ bitch! Lucius pressed his thin lips into a straight frigid line. His shoulders shuddered in suppressed rage. Control was barely leashed. Damn Narcissa to the fires of Dante's hells! "You are worth over $100 million dollars, and that is not including revenues from movies that are still making you money. I would guess if you never worked another day in your existence, you would still make at least $10 more million. Then of course, there are the houses and properties and etc. that easily bring you over $200 million. I want $100 million, and I will not settle for less. That is not even half your worth."

"Some of those assets," he sneered contemptuously, "cannot be touched. They cannot be consider as part of the marital estate, and you damn well know that. I am prepared to offer you $30 million with any manor you desire to take, but no more liquid funds than that." 

"$30?" Narcissa scorned. "When you are worth close to a quarter of a billion? Are you mad, Lucius? No, $100."

"Those are all the funds I have," he stated tightly, "I cannot do that." 

"Then $80 and a house," she countered. "That leaves you $20 and that's more than enough."

"I will not give you that much." 

"You owe me half of all that you own."

"And half of all that I own is $50 million," he snapped. "The rest that you mention that I'm worth cannot be touched as I do not own them exclusively, and even though the production company was started when I was married to you--- you had nothing to do with it! That cannot added into the settlement."

"It can," Dumbledore added lightly, a terrible amusement gleaming in the blue baby of his eyes. "It was started while you were married, and thus it is part of the marriage. It is a reasonable settlement, but I do have to make one disagreement. For you to pay it all one go would cause undeniable difficulty for you. Therefore, you will either pay it out gradually, starting with what you offered or Mrs. Malfoy can take a smaller portion but take it all now." 

He wanted to rip out Narcissa's vocal cords, and he wanted to dim the light of Dumbledore's bemused eyes. Sod them all! But _patience_, he reminded himself, and _dignity_--- it would not do him any good to lose his composure. "I need to speak privately to my assistant," gestured to Harry, "about this." 

"He still knows more about your affairs than you do, doesn't he?" Narcissa remarked, chuckling. "So be it, let them go talk about it. There are more requests that I need to make as well, that don't involve monetary aspects. But don't take too long. I believe your day is quite full."

It was. It was booked full. Lucius gripped Harry's arm and dragged him to one of the private conference rooms. In the car, Harry had listed out in his meticulous fashion what Lucius had to do--- an interview with another bloody mag to promote another movie, some meeting with a director that was propositioning a rather interesting role, then there were exclusive clothes that he needed custom tailored for him. He had no time for this divorce shit. 

Door slammed shut. He let go of him. God, thank god, they were finally alone. Time to rant. Moment to rave. "GOD I HATE NARCISSA BLACK FROM THE VERY TIPS OF HER HAIR TO THE EDGE OF HER TOENAILS, I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS MARRIED TO HER FOR TWENTY YEARS AND MANAGED NOT TO LOSE MY SANITY. SHE IS A BLOODY DESPICABLE BITCH THAT DOESN'T HAVE A BREATH OF HUMANITY AND MERCY IN HER ROTTEN SKELETON."

Harry stared at him, unmoved and unsurprised. Lucius's famous poise was nonexistent with him. There was a reason he was a brilliant actor, Lucius understood emotions well, and knew how to leash and release them in. If he didn't, how else could he be both a celebrated villain and a corrupted hero? 

"I don't have $100 million for her to just take. Even if she takes $50, she'll be bankrupting me. I need more than that to run my production company. Even though I back independent films, each one still costs me more than $25 million, and I want to back more than 2 this year! Damn that bitch, damn her to Tartarus. 

"What the fucking hell am I going to do?"

"Give her what she wants," Harry stated calmly, not perturbed that Lucius was ranging up and down the room like an out of control beast. "But you can't give her more than $50 and two or three properties out of the marriage. If she wants to wait, give her $25 and no manor house. And for the sake of God, keep your temper in there!"

"I WAS!" he raged. "I WAS!"

"I could feel your rage vibrating off your thick skull! You were close to losing it, and we don't have time to argue about settlements. Do you want this to drag out in divorce court? We agreed to have this done in front of a judge without lawyers because it wouldn't be a long and messy, not to mention costly affair. It's better for both of you, and especially for you as you have another movie to promote and another movie that starts filming in a month! You don't have time to mess with her! Just give her what she wants. And screw it if you can only support one indie this year, it's not the end of the world."

"She wants too much. Far too much. I can't give her that, I can't."

"Then you shouldn't divorce her," Harry muttered. "Why are you divorcing her anyway? Wouldn't it be more convenient to keep the charade of a happy Hollywood marriage up?"

"Except it's not Hollywood."

"Pardon me, a British ton wedding then." 

"I will not allow _anyone_, even that bitch, to mock me. I know she's been seeing someone behind my back, I even know who it is. But I can't ever catch her with him, and neither have any private investigators I've hired. If I could get her for adultery, I would." 

What a hypocrite! Even if he could, he'd _committed _enough liaisons to fill the sky with enough stars to blind the eyes. "And that would not be wise." Finger jabbed into his chest. Eyes narrowed into severity. "Your adulterous affairs are legendary, Lucius. It's fortunate I've managed to keep the _nastier ones _out of the papers. You would only lose more if this were brought up in court. That's why I want this to be settled outside of a civil trial. You'd lose half easily."

"Then why," his eyes more wary and alert, "is she willing to settle outside?" 

Good question. "I have no idea." His shoulders shrugged. "Maybe she's not as much of a bitch as you would like to think she is. If Narcissa is anything, she's intelligent and cunning. Whatever money she could gain by settling in court would run both you and her a deficit in lawyer fees. A settlement outside doesn't waste the precious assets, and it keeps her name out of the filthy tabloids." 

"I don't understand her." 

"You don't need to. Just thank her and give her what she bloody well wants. Then you're doing her a favor and doing yourself a favor at the same time." 

"I still hate her guts."

"You were the bloody fool that married her."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sniffed indignantly. "Don't remind me of my stupidity."

"If I don't remind you, you'll only do something more atrocious." 

"I hate you too."

"I know. I know." Harry grinned and saunter out of the room; Lucius was left with only the option to follow obediently behind. "It's time we get back into room of great monetary loss so that you can start having the pounds taken away from you." 

A severe glare did nothing to shake him. He was too used to it. Really, they were practically punishing but they did nothing for him. He did jab Lucius hard in the side though. Now was not the time for cruel eyes nor sneer lips. It was time for him to turn on the charm that thousands of women fell under the thrall of and try not to alienate the judge anymore. 

"Behave," Harry hissed, "you need every bit of grace you possess in your jaded soul."

Time ran out on Lucius's possibility of retort. "Have you sufficiently talked it all out?" Dumbledore inquired sharply. "As precious as your time is," he remarked, "I daresay my time is far more valuable as I have far less of a time in which to be on this god given Earth. So if you will please spare me any further waste and make up your mind on whether or not you wish to settle outside a lawyer's forage parade. that would be to your best interest." 

"So Lucius," Narcissa murmured, "what is it to be?" 

She stood there, graceful and refined. Narcissa Black, socialite extraordinaire and hostess queen. But he knew how close the bitch was to the surface of her image of invulnerability. It was clawing, groaning, wanting release. How she suppressed it amazed even him. If only he could get her to lose it.

"You claim yourself to be well off before me and still well off after me," he declared, "but in reality, you would be _nothing_ without me. Let me guess, one of your terms is to keep the Malfoy surname. You wouldn't want to be without that precious commodity, would you?" Agitation lined her eyes. "And you wouldn't dare to give up Draco even if you were the one to first suggest shipping him off to boarding school when the opportunity first arose because he is your only true claim to the name of Malfoy." 

He was thinking. Good for him. Narcissa was on the verge--- at the edge of her restraint. If she lost it, if Lucius somehow got under Narcissa's skin--- then maybe all was not lost. He remembered how glorious of a rage Lucius's wife was capable of. It rivaled even Lucius in a rare tizzy. 

She was close, Harry smothered a smile. Lucius might be a bastard of a boss, but he was _still _his boss. Loyalties were foremost to him. And as much faith as he could have in an incorrigibly conceited ass of a man. Narcissa was shaking; her shoulders were shuddering. One small shove and she'd break. 

"You ask me what it is to be," his voice light and trite, "but you haven't told me all that you want from me, Narcissa. You want everything, don't you?" Her eyes wouldn't meet his. "My money, my name, and my son. Will nothing satisfy your voraciousness?" 

Situation was significantly improved. Dumbledore pushed his face forward with his eyes peering through his spectacles with an air of much expectancy. Control was swiveling in an erratic pendulum movement that could easily swing in favor of Lucius or Narcissa. Narcissa or Lucius. It had better be Lucius. 

"My voraciousness?" Narcissa spat out spitefully. Her ire was rising. Very good. Her malice was a teeny bit bad. "What of yours then Lucius? You aren't in the tabloids for nothing. If I am voracious, pray tell. what are you?

The warning was blatant. Dirtiness was descending. It was creeping and crawling its way into the courtroom. Harry had expected it. Too bad there was precious little time. Lucius was going to have to make this quick. A few millions more than he wanted to pay wasn't going to hurt him too badly, only crush his ego and it could stand a good deal of footwork. 

"There is little time," he warned. "Finish this. Finish this now." 

No inclination that he had heard him, not terribly surprising from Lucius. He did enjoy riling him as much as Harry derived pleasure in deflating Lucius's inflated ego. How they managed to stay together in a working business relationship defied on all logical sense. Somehow they did it. Did it well too. If he hadn't been there to pull Lucius out of one mucky mess after another, he would not be _the name_ that he was. 

"You have an interview after this, then you have a meeting with a director that has set aside a role tailor made for you, and you have a fitting that needs to be done with _the_ fashion designer," Harry rambled incessantly. "We have no time for this." 

He growled. Perfect. How he loved that sexy guttural sound from his pale throat. One of the few facets of him that kept him latched to his side. Damn the bastard for being somewhat redeemable. If he wasn't, it'd be that much easier to leave him and move on like Tom would prefer. His preferences be damned! Who was _he_ to rule her?

"Incessantly inane interviews," Lucius muttered with a sneering distaste. "They never ask anything worth printing."

"Like about your amorous sexual exploits?"

Grinding teeth, pursed lips. Simply lovely. Hadn't lost the touch. Not that it ever went away, it was like riding a bike. It never left. "Hardly. More like why they only focus on this farce of a marriage instead of my work."

"You're A-listed; therefore, you're targeted like an assassin's aim." 

"Lovely analogy."

"Simile git."

"As much as you two would like to continue your lovely conversation," Dumbledore interrupted tartly, "I would like this over with so that I may move on to more pleasant engagements. Activities like brunching on bland oatmeal, then lunching over some watery gruel, and perhaps a chocolate snack snuck from my drawers. Now will you please--- get on with it, Mr. Malfoy?"

20? 25? Too little. 30? 35? Decent enough but not to Narcissa. 40? 45? Better, but still. 50? God he wanted to hurl. "$49," he stated, "and 3 properties to her choosing with the exception of the Malfoy Estate. If she deems to take the three most expensive properties, estimated worth is $75. I am willing to dole out $25 now and deed the properties to her at her convenience, but the other $24 will have to wait." 

"It is not even half of what you're worth!" she exclaimed, viciousness spitting from her soul windows. "This is unbelievably preposterous! If you expect me to walk out with anything less than $100, you're insane Lucius!" 

He coughed. "I am sorry, m'dear. But," he took out a sheet of paper from his leather Vuitton bag, "au contraire, I am not worth over $200 million as you so practically claim. My assets are worth that much, but my personal worth is more within the range of $150, which makes $75 a far more suitable payout." 

"You bastard!" she spat. "You got a lawyer when it was agreed _specifically _none!" 

"Actually," Harry piped in, "what he has is a clipping of a business journal that had calculated the worth of actors and actresses for 2003. He is one of the wealthiest, but he is hardly in the range of say. _the_ leading man, Brad Pitt." 

Dumbledore cleared his throat. He had heard enough; besides, it was close to 11:00. He was going to miss brunch at this turtle rate. "Clearly Mrs. Malfoy," he addressed mildly, "more thorough research should have been done on your part. As Mr. Malfoy has come with proof that was not derived from the manipulations of lawyers, you may take his generous offer or file a suit with a lawyer and take this into civil court. However, if you do that and I receive you as part of my jurisdiction--- I will NOT take kindly to reevaluating a case that I deem done with and the terms decent."

Cheers for Lucius. "Agreed," she choked out, "but there are other terms. I want to keep the Malfoy name, and I demand custody of my son." 

"Our son," Lucius, "is a fourteen year old boy that is perfectly capable of making up his mind who he would like to stay with. It is not like he is a baby anymore and needs his mother. I would daresay he needs me more than you." And he'd be damned if he let Narcissa take the one good thing that this in_convenient_ marriage had bestowed him--- his son, Draco. 

"You are never there!" she cried out with a good dose of healthy passion this time. Harry was taken back, did Narcissa care for Draco as more than a tool of manipulation in regards to Lucius? Possibly, motherhood did strange things to women in their older age. "Never there for him! Of course, he _wants_ you there; but he _needs _and _relies_ on me. I won't give him to you without a fight." 

Before Lucius had hope to retort, Dumbledore interrupted sharply, "As the divorce settlement has been agreed on, monetary wise, I would like this meeting to adjourn. To settle the rest of this splintered marriage, I will arrange a time to see the young Mr. Malfoy this afternoon before tea time. I do not want any of you there at such time. Do you understand?"

"Understood." Lucius's eyes were halfway shuttered with displeasure, but his voice communicated itself without rancor. It was a severe effort, but he managed with pompous brilliancy. 

"I understand." 

"Good," Dumbledore stated blandly. "I will be calling the main house after my brunch. I would like young Mr. Malfoy to have a time prepared in which to see me. Now, please leave. I have better things to do as I'm sure you two do as well."

Narcissa curled her lips up with disgust that she had been slightly outmaneuvered, and her devious tongue started its devilry once they had stepped outside of the courtroom, "You don't deserve to spend anytime with Draco. He _might_ be your biological son, but he's the son of my own heart and soul. He's mine, and he was _never_ yours!"

Actually, it was rather the opposite. Draco was a dead ringer for Lucius, and his condescending personality was a direct reflection of Lucius. It was devastatingly impressive, and Harry on numerous occasions had wished to strangle the young boy as much as the father. He held his tongue though, this verbal spar was between Lucius and Narcissa. There was no need for him to get in the middle. 

"We'll see about that." Oh god, Lucius was doing him proud this day. So in control, and so. _not_ prone to stupid tendencies like ripping awful movie reviews (even if they mention his performance as per normal was inspired despite insipidness) or throwing fan mail into an ever growing heap of a pile in sheer annoyance (yet they were glowing marks of adulation that would only stimulate his ego) or. "Let's go, Harry."

* * *

**MALICIOUSLY DELICIOUS** (in EVERYTHING)  
A Divulging Chat with Lucius Malfoy exclusively for GQ Magazine.

**GQ:** Let's get straight to the point as you must be an extremely busy man.  
**LM:** Quite.

**GQ:** You've got a new film out, _Love Liasons_. It's quite a different role for you, almost bland.  
**LM:** I wouldn't say that it's bland per say. It _is_ different.

**GQ:** You aren't the complicated villain nor the wretched hero.  
**LM:** No, instead (trademark smirk) I'm this horribly romantic and tragic figure. 

**GQ:** You haven't really done a role like this before. You've been a bit typecast as either a misunderstood villain or a hero that strays to the shadows.  
**LM:** Never the bloke that gets the girl.

**GQ:** Hasn't stopped you from being _the _British sex symbol.  
**LM:** I am a bit sought after.

**GQ:** Sought after is an understatement, I've heard you get enough mail to fill, what is it? Two postal bags a month?  
**LM:** Something like that, yes.

**GQ:** And now you're back on the market.  
**LM:** Not yet.

**GQ:** Ms. Narcissa giving you problems?  
**LM:** No, just divorce papers are a shit of work.

**GQ:** I heard you were settling this outside of lawyer territory.  
**LM:** We are. We settled most of it this morning.

**GQ:** You two seem quite congenial, will you be telling the public anytime soon why the marriage failed? Both of you have been together a rather long time.  
**LM:** We've changed and moved on.

**GQ:** So you have.  
**LM:** I'd rather not talk about this.

**GQ:** (Papers shuffling) You have more scripts pouring in for you. How ever do you choose which role to take? Especially as you've made your fame as a complexly brilliant villain?  
**LM:** On how well written the characters are. And I dislike being typecast as only a villain. I like to think I am more than that, and I'd like to think I've proven the contrary in _Dearly Departed _and _Fortune's Cookie. _

**GQ:** You certainly have. In both you were sympathetic, though not to the point of making me ill--- and you were quite depraved yet in a good way, _Cookie _especially.   
**LM:** Simon Freud was quite the character. He had good intentions that would invariably lead him to do something bad and then try to correct it and only to end up doing something worse. How could I not help but play such a role? It's thoroughly human. 

**GQ:** His temper at realizing it kept getting worse was done with vicsciousness.  
**LM:** Simon wanted to do good and kept doing bad and in the knowledge of his incompetence took it out on anything or anyone near him, almost making him the antithesis of a hero.

**GQ:** The common thread of your characters is complexity.  
**LM:** Many layers of it.

**GQ:** The question is. are you equally as complex as the roles you've taken or even more so?  
**LM:** More so? I don't know. (laughs) Ask my assistant.

**GQ:** Yes, your lovely assistant. She's been called your savior.  
**LM:** He's my bitch.

**GQ:** Your bitch?  
**LM: **Yes, he nags and bosses and gets me doing stuff that I'd never do if he weren't around. He's a horrid wench, but if I didn't have him--- I wouldn't be where I was today. He's got a terribly good eye for a worthy script.

**GQ:** Was he a factor in helping you choose such a different role in _Love Liasons?_  
**LM:** To a degree yes. 

**GQ:** To a degree? What degree?  
**LM:** He goes through the scripts for me and helps wad through the stinkers.

**GQ:** And do you get many of those?  
**LM:** Ah yes, many of those typecast villain roles where they are horribly written. If you must know (leans over in such a manner as to confide a secret in), I don't mind doing villain roles as long as the character is horrendously well written.

**GQ:** You've gotten a plethora of good evil buggers.   
**LM:** And it's been a pleasure portraying them.

**GQ:** Your assistant is waving in such an anxious manner, so it must mean that our time's up. It's been a true pleasure interviewing you, Mr. Malfoy. I wish you all the best with _Love Liasons. _  
**LM:** The pleasure is all mine.

* * *

"**T**hat was abso-BLOODY-lutely terrible." 

"You were wonderful."

"I always am," he sneered.

Harry chuckled and rolled his eyes. "So conceited."

"Not without reason."

"Because you think you're the sexiest git alive."

"I don't think that, I know that," he declared arrogantly, "and so do the public."

"God, I have no idea how you managed before you had a throng of adoring fans to worship the ground that you tread," Harry muttered. "You're so impossibly big-headed that it's a wonder you don't rupture from the sheer pressure."

"The fans irritate me."

He snorted. "And you still ought to be grateful to them."

"Because according to you, you think that they've gotten me to this plateau."

"I know they have."

"And it has nothing at all to do with my acting merits."

"Somewhat."

"You can't get where I am," he snapped, "without having talent, especially with the roles that I've taken on."

"I never said you didn't have talent. If anything, I think you have more than you've been allowed to show. But that's changing now as you're being sought after for lead roles. You're finally getting the opportunity to be the showoff that you are."

"And a damnably good one I am."

"So modest." 

"Of course."

Hary gave up. Trying to get him to lower his enormous ego was a waste of his time and effort. He might as well start briefing him on the next bit: "The meeting with the director has been pushed back another day, so you're going to get to have your fitting an hour longer than we planned. This should give us plenty of time to get a good deal of your wardrobe tailored and whatever we don't have an outfit for, chosen." 

"Oh the joy."

"You know you love prancing around like a ponce with new clothes."

Steel eyes narrowed. "_Never _call me a ponce."

Terrifying glares didn't work on him, didn't Lucius ever learn? "Ponce."

"Prat."

"Is that the best you can do?"

"God, I hate you so."

"Was that ever in doubt?" 

* * *

"**O**uch!" A needled pricked his hip. He'd forgotten how maddening it was being measured for new clothes. _And_ he had the wonderful suspicion that the blasted designer was watching all this with remarkable glee. Why was it again that he'd chosen this fashionista? Oh yes, because he came highly recommended. What?! As a sadist? 

"You are such a baby." 

It didn't help his ego any that Harry was looking at him like he was the biggest prat in the universe, but then again that was rather normal. The abnormality was that he was doing it in the presence of others. Now that sort of infuriated him in a way. He thought Harry made it a point to be the perfect assistant in public. Quite exasperating, especially when he pulled it off so convincingly.

"I don't see you here getting needles poked into your flesh," Lucius grumbled. 

"I do a weekly acupuncture."

"God, are you a fucking masochist?"

Harry exhaled with vexation. "Only way I can put up with your bigotry."

"I thought I paid you to endure my. what? I am hardly that! Egoist perhaps!"

"Yet you almost subconsciously admitted it." 

He scoffed at the mere suggestion. "I did no such thing."

"Almost convincing," Harry conceded.

"Whose the bloody actor here?" Lucius scowled. Another sharp pointy thing in his side. "Shit, watch where you're putting those sodding needles!" His death glare had the suitable reaction out of the needle wielder that it never had on Harry. "I didn't pay tens of thousands to get poked a million fucking times." 

"Watch your language," Harry reprimanded sternly. "You're an actor, not a garbage collector."

"Are you insinuating something about garbage collectors?"

"Only that you collect trash in your mouth."

"I rather thought you were suggesting that garbage collectors have foul mouths."

"No one has a nastier tongue than you, Lucius," he snapped. "Now straighten your back up, you wouldn't want your custom tailored clothes to be fitted in a slouch would you?"

"Yes mum."

Ignoring him was always best. This time he had an enchanting excuse in the embodiment of one of the rising fashion designers of the new age. Severus Snape. "Your designs are heavenly," he complimented softly. His eyes dipped down, shyly. This wasn't Lucius, who Harry was used to sparring verbally with, this was someone else--- someone who he happened to admire greatly. "And Lucius looks marvelous." 

"I wouldn't waste my time with him," a silkily slight sneer, "unless I thought him worthy of my creations." His black as onyx eyes slide over his figure with a critical appraisal. "Something for you, perhaps? There's a pair of cream slacks and a true white shirt that would work wonders with your complexion." 

Pink tinted blush. "I could never afford it." Honest to a fault line.

"It's not about affording it," Severus began crisply, business-like fashion, "it's about."

            "If he wants to offer you some bloody clothes, I'll pay for."

The hawk-nosed designer narrowed his eyes darkly at the boorish interruption, though he hardly paused before continuing, " whether or not you'll grace my design by deeming to wear it. At any moment I spy a figure that would wear my creations not merely as clothes but like the skin, it cannot be bought by mere pounds. And this vanilla invention has been bothering me for quite a bit. You'd wear it beautifully. You have the right type of body. Slim and petite." 

Nice way of saying short, Harry thought cynically. "I couldn't."

His hand dismissed him. "It's too virginal for other models to carry off. Today, it's sex and fucking and more sex and then add some shagging. The sweet vanilla has no sex appeal, it's this hazy innocence. It suits you." 

Damn it! He wasn't _that_ disgustingly innocent! Why did everyone think that? Just because he didn't go around fucking anything with legs or being the one shagged? He felt unclean. Not to mention severely wigged out. "_Too bad I'm not a virgin_," he muttered for his own benefit. He wasn't. Well, not technically. No orgasmic pleasures with that bit of sex, a cock had been between his ass cheeks. "Um. thanks."

"You don't have an arse. It's that simple." 

What a terribly nice man. Give him clothes but tell him that 1) he was short, albeit in a respectable fashion and next say 2) that he didn't have hips in an unflattering fashion. Now he knew why Severus got a horrendous rap for being god awful. He was a callous--- on purpose or not--- and critical man. No wonder he was such a good designer. He had the eye. the eye that saw mad beauty stuff.

"As much," Lucius drawled, "as I'm enjoying you dissecting the flaws of Harry's body, can we get this sodding show on the road? I have better things to do with my time than to stand up here like a bloody prat with needles poking every which way into my flesh." 

"Pity, that's what you are," Harry added. "And what else would you be doing? Screwing around with any ditzy blond that swings your way?" 

A sneer of dissatisfaction curled his thin lips. "I did not appreciate that, _Harry Potter_." He might not like what he said about him in private, but he didn't stop him. This, however, was public and this he _did_ care about. 

"The true hurts."

"And that statement about blonds was horrid."

"I only really meant the blonds that you attract."

"What the HELL is up your ASS today?!?!" 

His lips quavered. "Nothing."

"Then why are you such a bitch today?"

"_And _as much I'd like to hear your assistant rip away any attempt of yours at verbal assault," Severus stated sharply, "I have an important meeting that I _must_ attend." He inclined his face toward Harry. "It's been a pleasure. I'll have the clothes sent to you. Leave some reference and my assistants will deal with it. As for _you_," his eyes far less friendly, "I trust you'll wear my creations in body with more intelligence than your tongue has shown. Good day." Out he went. Gone in seconds. 

"Good riddance," Lucius muttered. 

"He's a brilliant man," the assistant, who was steadily still pinning the suit to Lucius's physique, remarked. "Absolutely a genius. Difficult to get along with, but if you can deal with him, you learn more as his assistant than you would anywhere else. He grinds you down and almost crushes you, but it _prepares_ you."

"For what?"

"For life."

"And life as Lucius Malfoy's assistant," Harry injected, "is an enlightenment."

Lucius barely contained a pleased smile. An enlightenment? "Truly?"

There was something in his deep green eyes. Something that was no good. "_Truly_." Only he detected the faint sarcasm. What a cynic he was, he mused. Had he always been this way? "It's a _revelation_ on the trials of public life," he continued. "Prolly in the same way that working for Severus is for the fashion world." 

           OR had he made Harry this way? "Life as I know it, would be _distorted_ without Lucius." It was him then. And what was that twitching of his lips and that fluttering of his 'lashes? "I may be a godsend for him, but he is a _prayer's answer_." 

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**Author's Note:** This was long. This is the longest chapter I've ever written for a fanfic. I plan to continue this. Chapter 2 is more than halfway done. It'll be available as soon as I'm done. I have not have this beta'd so all mistakes are my own. I would say the most likely errors are pronouns. Other than that, this should be pretty much as good to go as I can get anything. Please review. So how do you like my portrayals of Lucius? Severus? Harry? I'm very proud of this story. Breaking new ground with a LM/HP/SS? Hopefully. Thanks! Let me know what you think and maybe my muse can be persuaded to write more and faster. 


	2. Under the Tortures of the Public Eye

**LOVE ATROCIOUS**  
by Yih

* * *

This has been beta'd by **Blackumbrage** (formerly known as Blackumbridge).  She knows she's my bunny block. 

Harry is a **boy**, any female pronoun references are my fault and my beta's blindness.  (All I can say it's hard translating from an original novel.  The original is better, what can I say?  Some things just don't translate well).

Draco's 17; Harry's 27; Severus's 39; Lucius's 43; Tom's late 50's.  (_Draco's age has been changed from Chapter 1._)

* * *

  
**Father**

You were never there  
When I needed you  
Now you're here  
Trying to run my life  
I don't need you

It's bad enough  
I can't understand  
My mother's madness  
I don't want to  
The past was the past

You knew I was there  
Ignore me then  
Notice me now?  
Why?  May I ask?  
_Because_, you say, _you're mine._

I am nobody's anything  
You scoff, _Nonsense._  
I retort, _Common sense._  
When I needed you  
You were never there

* * *

Chapter 2  
_Under the Tortures of the Public Eye_

**A**ctors acting.  Flashes flashing.  Reporters reporting.  It was another premiere spectacle.  

The good thing was that Lucius had decided not to aggravate him by bringing a brainless twit that would inflate his superego more than was needed.  Harry didn't mind public events, but he wasn't in the mood tonight.  He shouldn't let Tom get to him, but he _as he put it so blatantly _was his father regardless of what he thought of him.  If he had anyone to blame, it would be his mother for having an affair with the bastard.  What had possessed his dear, sweet mother?  

            Tom was an asshole.  Cruel, vindictive, and malicious.  Not unlike Lucius, Harry thought disparagingly.  He kept telling him--- kept sniping that he was wasting his life as Lucius's assistant.  It was his life, not Tom's, and who was he to tell him what to do when he had only conveniently decided to appear in it 5 years ago after more than two decades of absentness?  

            "So," a journalist thrust his recorder in front of Lucius's face, "is it true that the divorce to your wife, Narcissa has gone through?  That it was settled outside of court?  The settlement?"

            God, not this again.  That was all the media cared about, the breakup up of a high profile marriage that was not only swamped in Hollywood but in _the _gentry.  Harry placed his hand on Lucius's arm and squeezed it comfortably.  He wouldn't even hold it against him if he snapped.  Hell, he'd snap and he had a far headier dose of patience than he'd ever possessed.  But Lucius needed to hold his temper back.  Remember, Harry prayed hard, _not_ in front of public scrutiny.

            "I have answered this already," he murmured dryly, but not a trace of rancor, "and I believe I said that it was settled outside of court.  As for the settlement, if it has to do with anyone that would be my ex-wife."  

            Opening his mouth to ask another question, Harry decided this had to be stopped before Lucius lost whatever leash he had on his rage.  "This is off topic," he stated blandly, "as this is the _premiere_ of his new film, _Love Liasons.  _Unless you have any relevant questions to the film, Mr. Malfoy needs to focus his attention to his fans that have braved this cold weather to see him."

            Cold was a drastic understatement.  It took all Harry's control not to let his teeth chatter.  And of course Lucius insisted that he wear the blasted 'virginal piece' by Snape.  His legs were numb in the thin fabric, while Lucius's were snug in his wool slacks.  Grrr!  If it were not for Lucius's persistence, he would have worn a more sensible attire, but no--- he _had_ to wear Snape's creation.  

            Flustered was always a perversely good look for those bloodsucking journalists.  If he was fond of cackling, he'd let out a cackle spiel.  "None?" Harry inquired with dreadful politeness.  "Well then," he hooked his arm around Lucius's, "_his_ fans are waiting.  Ta tah!"  

            "You're bloody brilliant," he whispered.  

            Harry shrugged.  If he wasn't _exceptional_, he never would have stayed with him for so long.  "Be nice," he bossed.  "Remember if you didn't have your fans, you wouldn't be in the position that you are today.  I still don't know how any reasonable person could like that perverse sadist you portrayed in _Sade_ is beyond me.  The Marquis de Sade was…"

            "A man far above his time a _true _nihilist," Lucius murmured.  "If I must see my fans, then let's get it over with.  You don't want your legs to freeze anymore than they have to in this inconvenient weather, do you?"

            Harry rolled his eyes and directed him to an area where several young women were waving around banners that said: 'LUCIUS WE LOVE YOU.'  How heartbreakingly original.  Might as well glance around a bit.  '_Lucius is Luscious._'  Somewhat better.  'MALFOY is the BEST!'  Egh.  He could always be better, especially to his fans.  It was about that time of the year to get him to sign some more photos for the fan-mail.  

            That reminded him, he groaned, that he really needed to start on responding to all the Christmas cards Lucius had gotten, not to mention the care packages.  So much that needed to be done and little time to do it.  Then there were the piles of scripts that had been building up.  Just sorting through those was going to take days.  Crap.  He really shouldn't have taken those two weeks off, but… it wasn't like Tom was going to take 'no' for an answer.  

            A finger jabbed his side.  "Have I done enough?" Lucius muttered, making a small gesture to the pictures and posters he'd signed.  They were quite a distance away from where they'd first started.  How many had he signed while he'd been lost in anxieties?  "I'm freezing my ass out here."  

            "I'm sure your arse can take it," Harry retorted, eyes shifting down to check the time.  It was 8:45.  The premiere started at 9:00.  They ought to be heading in.  "You're lucky that it's time that we should be going in.  It starts in 15 minutes."

            "Thank god," he breathed out.  "If I hear one more bloody fan tell me that they think I'm 'divine' or 'heavenly' or 'bloody sexy' I'm going to scream."

            "Oh?  Why is that?"

            "As much as _you_ like to believe that I enjoy the fan worship, let me remind you that you don't get strange phone calls in the middle of the night or get fan mail weekly that propositions marriage or any of that shit."

            "There must have been one fan that didn't overly irritate you."

            "There was one girl," he murmured.  "She was rather sweet.  She was getting a sig for a friend of hers that couldn't make it."  He leaned against him heavily like he was his personal staff.  "You smell good, Harry."  

            He tried to shove Lucius off him, and as he thought--- it proved a disastrously unsuccessful attempt.  His heavy weight was still on him and getting progressively weightier.  What a lazy man!  Didn't even want to carry around his own frickin' mass.  "I didn't take a shower to have you stink me up."

            "More like sex you up."

            God, he was in a good mood today.  What was wrong with him?  "You're not on some day drug are you?"

            "I can't think about you in a sexual context?"  His eyes swept up and down Harry's form.  "You aren't bad looking, you know, Harry.  The virginal vanilla look flatters you.  You look too sweet."  

            Harry rolled his eyes.  "Flattery will only enamor your already obsessed fans.  Won't work on me."

            "Oh really?"  Lucius's body deliberately pressed against his.  "Are you so sure?"  
            "Yes!"  He was getting too good at this.  If Lucius ever knew… if he ever found out… Harry'd be mortified.  Lucius wouldn't.  He couldn't!  He might be sharp, but he was oblivious in regards to him.  If he was ever going to find out about his awful affections, that would have been 5 years ago when he'd been horrible at hiding it.  "Now get the hell off of me," Harry hissed.  "You weighty bum."

            Lucius's hand reached up to brush some stray hair off his cheek.  "You know," his breath caressing Harry's skin, "if you were a bit nicer and dressed better, you'd have a lot of blokes after you."  

            "What you're saying," Harry retorted, "is that if I were more willing to bend to the wills of others and clothed myself less like the sluts that are always after your arse, I'd be more appealing to a prick's eye--- eh, Lucius?"

            "If you wish to put it that way…"

            "You _are_ so frustrating."

            "And you, Harry," he drawled, "are easily riled."

            "And you're not?"

            "Only in your presence because I pay for your patience and understanding."

            "I'm your personal garbage can."

            "More like my very own Harry."

            "God save me."

            He smirked and was about to make a skeptical comment about any god saving him since Harry didn't believe in a higher being when he got flagged down by the producer.  "Fashionably late, as always Lucius?"

            "You know me," he responded, furiously keeping out the aggravation.  Zabini was a pain to converse with when it had anything with matters outside film production.  Conceited enough to make him gag.  "Always one prone to the fashionable."

            "Indeed," Zabini remarked, his dark eyes flitting up and down Harry's form.  "My… my, you look ravishing today, Harry."  

            What a flirtatious egoist!  "You look as you do everyday," Harry murmured, saying nothing impolite but he knew Lucius would get the implication.  "And," he glanced down at his watch, "we really must find our seats.  It's about to begin."

            "Touché."  He squeezed his hand.  "The after party is at my mansion.  You two must attend.  Everyone will be expecting you both."  

            "We will be there," Lucius answered curtly.  "Now if you please?"  Zabini moved out of the way, but his eyes stayed glued to Harry's figure.  It unnerved him, and he was grateful when he felt Lucius's arm slip around his waist.  "Don't think about him," he said softly.  "Think about what a romantic fool I play."

            "Yes," Harry commented dryly, "you're excellent at being the fool."

            "Of course.  My acting is always superb."

            "Unfortunately, you did no acting."

            "My pride is in tatters."

            "Good, it could use a good tearing."

            "And that, my sweet, is why you never have a gentleman at your side."

            "Unfortunately for me, I only have a bastard."  

* * *

ASSISTING DIVORCE exclusively for Gossip!  

_The supposition behind the relationship between the actor, Lucius Malfoy and his assistant…_

He whispered sexily into his ear.  That's how the evening began.  It only progressed from there when he placed his arm around Potter's waist and drew him close to his side.  One might call it protective, especially with the lecherous Zabini nearby.  It's eerie how much the producer is like the character in _Dangerous Liasons.  _A rake through and through.  Lucky for Harry Potter, his dashing actor-boss was there to whisk him away like Prince Charming away from the beast.  

Is it possible that Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy have something amiss in their professional arrangement?  After all, Malfoy is notoriously well-known for being a bit fickle about the people in his professional life.  He's changed agents, what?, nearly 5 times in the last 5 years.  But through all that constant upheaval, Potter has stayed glued to his side as his ever present Assistant.  

Not to mention that his bisexuality has always been heavily speculated, especially with some of the more controversial films he's made portraying himself as a homosexual numerous times.  Of course, that is still in doubt since it's never been widely proven.  If there's anyone that can hide behind a façade--- it's Lucius Malfoy.  

Then there's the little fact that Potter made it clear years ago that he did not like Malfoy's socialite wife, the glamorous Mrs. Black-Malfoy.  No official reason was given for the animosity, but rumor has it that Potter has quite the tongue on his tart lips.  A pity he never lets it loose in public, that would prove a headliner every week.  It's enough to know that Malfoy and Black walked into the courtroom with Potter close to Malfoy's side, and that they exited with an agreement of mutual consent to end a twenty year marriage.  

What a glorious surprise!  Nothing but praise had ever been uttered about how the Malfoys got along together.  Famous friends from childhood and young sweethearts?  Or was it just an arrangement of convenience as some have guessed?  With Malfoy's unfaithfulness?  Does it even matter?  Twenty years of marriage came to an end, and the assistant was there to assist in it.  

Will this affair be kept under a rug neatly swept under a bed if there is one?  The question is how long this relationship between the two of them has been going on if it is indeed so?  Malfoy isn't known for being secretive about his relationships.  Rather he's quite blatant, but Potter is quite the opposite.  Very little is known about him, other than that he's cool, calm, and always collected.  Quite a feat for the fire of controversy that his boss is forever sparking.  

Another fire's lit.  Will it be doused to death or will it burn brightly?  Only _they_ know.

* * *

"**T**his is so fucking ridiculous!" Harry exclaimed, slamming the paper down hard enough on the breakfast table that it rattled his tea.  "Where do they make up this kind of shit?  In the frickin' hell hole of ridiculous nonsense where they reside?!!"

            "This isn't so bad," Lucius responded nonchalantly, his eyes flickering over the article with carelessness.  "It's rather tame, actually.  Good piece of writing though for a tabloid.  Then again, Gossip! is one of the better ones of those sorts."

            "I can't believe you're--- you're not raging!"

            "What can I do?"  He shrugged.  Secretively, seeing Harry riled was good fun.  Being blasé about this was only making him more angry.  Harry severely underestimated how well he could read him.  His problem.  And when was the last time he'd cursed like this?  That was an impressive spiel of crudeness.  "It's already printed."  

            Harry growled.  It was _almost_ sexy.  A bit too lacking in gruffness factor, but very decent for a young man.  "Well you don't have to go and be all accepting of it," he muttered.  "Doesn't this upset you at all?"

            "Why should it?  I'm the one that's getting hooked up with a young man, 12 years my junior.  Who wouldn't be pleased?  I must have maddening sex appeal," he stated with that shade of egoism that was _his_ trademark.  "Not that that was ever in doubt."  
            "You conceited arse."

            "My arse has every right to be conceited."   

            Harry's mouth was open.  Lucius was anticipating his next retort.  Unfortunately, Harry's mobile had to ring.  And Harry being Harry, he answered it with a pleasant, "Good morning."  

            Just when the conversation was getting interesting too, Lucius thought with a grumble, slicing more bananas into his granola cereal.  He might be out of Narcissa's controlled food regime, but he still wasn't allowed the unhealthy food that he'd like to have.  It wasn't that Harry was regulating his diet; it was more like he didn't keep anything but healthy food stocked.  Lucius cringed.  And he had to live here with Harry for the next month because of settlement issues.  This was going to be a vegetable hell.  

            "A suitable greeting," Harry's father stated sharply.  "You're actually being civil."  

            "I don't have much choice," Harry remarked tightly, his voice slightly strained.  What was Tom doing calling him at 7:30 am?  Shouldn't he be sleeping with his lovely armful of a mistress?  "And what gets you up so early this morning?"

            "You, of course, my darling."  

            He suffocated the urge to snort.  "What do you want from me, Tom?"  

            So that was who Harry was talking to--- his father!  Lucius had been wondering, an appropriate thing to wonder since there was nothing else in which to occupy his attentions other than his conversation.  No wonder he was looking like he'd swallowed something ghastly.  If there was anyone that rubbed Harry the wrong way, it was Tom.  His fork stabbed the sliced banana.  Bloody great, on top of a nutritious breakfast, he had to deal with Harry's pissy mood he'd be in after the phone call ended.  

            "Whatever makes you think I want anything from you, my Harry?"   

            "Because," he grumbled, "you always want something out of me."  

            "I only want to make you see that you're wasting your time and your talent," Tom admonished.  "It is for your own benefit, and if that makes me want something out of you--- so be it.  What father wouldn't want his son to move on to more profitable grounds?"  

            "I like what I'm doing."

            "Then why is your voice so tense?"

            "Because I'm speaking to you!"

            He made the tsk-ing sound Harry hated.  "Where are your manners?  Such crude words from your lips is unforgivable in the son of a titled lord, is it not?  You must always strive to be the perfect gentleman."  

            "I am Potter's son," he growled, "and he is no titled lord."  

            "You are _my _son!" he roared with fierce possession.  "And do not forget that!"  

            Harry had had enough.  His finger jabbed the end button.  If he absorbed anymore of Tom's words, he'd be a bitch the rest of the day.  As it was, he was probably going to be a nag.  What was on the agenda today?  Nothing bad, he prayed, nothing horribly challenging.  His hand slid to his planner, the vigil of his life, and he opened it.  

            Scanning.  Blinking.  Perusing.  Not too bad.  Another interview, that was going to piss Lucius off.  Terrific.  Then a final fitting for some of the more difficult pieces from Snape.  He needed to thank him personally for the suit.  It had looked lovely on him.  That would get done with.  And… oh fuck.  He had a dinner written in with Tom tonight.  He gritted his teeth.  Was that the reason the bastard had called?  

            His mobile whined again.  "You called because of the dinner tonight," Harry snapped.

            "Yes," Tom answered, "I wanted confirmation that you'd be coming."  

            Shoot!  He was hoping he'd cancel.  "Yes, I'm coming."

            "Good," he commented.  "Wear something appropriate and work on your tone, Harry.  I cannot stand for you to sound disrespectful to me.  I am your father, no matter how much you like to think of Potter as your father.  He is not, and I am.  My driver will pick you up promptly at 7 in front of your flat.  Do be timely."  

            "I will."

            "Good day."

            "Good-bye."  

            "So he did have a reason for calling," Lucius remarked, shoving his dirty bowl to Harry.  "Don't you feel foolish now?"  

            Playful teasing time was over.  They didn't have time for that.  "You have an interview at 9:00, which is also a photo shoot," Harry began in his professional only voice, "and then we will meet Snape at 2:00 for the rest of your fittings.  This is a rather short day, which is a good thing as I will need to meet Tom for dinner at 7:30.  Please try not to wreck my flat while I am away?  Okay?"  

            "I'll try," he drawled.  "But you know how effortlessly bored I get." 

            "Then do yourself a favor and do something that will improve your disposition."

            "Ouch," he clutched his heart, "be still my heart the pain of critical commentary!"

            "Shut up Lucius."

            "Never!"  

* * *

"**M**arvelous!"

           "Fantastic!"

           "Yes, move your body like that!"

            "You've got sex written in every crevice of your being."  

            Wonderful, Lucius was going to be exceedingly cocky after this.  Harry outwardly gagged at each profuse comment from the photographer and assistants running around for the cover shoot.  Thank goodness that they had an appointment with Snape after lunch.  If there was anyone that could bring Lucius down a notch without even saying a word, it was Snape.  How he did it, Harry wanted to embrace with a rapture.  And _he_ did it without knowing Lucius's really sore spots.  It was unprecedented.  

             "Stunning!" gushed the photographer.  "If you ever don't continue to make it as a hoity toity actor, come see me!  You've got the most amazing body lines for clothes that I've seen.  I've heard you're getting a formal fitting from Snape.  Do you know how impossible those are to get?  Even for someone like you?

            "He _only_ goes for the best.  You can't request a fitting, he has to invite you to one," he continued, while he kept snapping more gorgeous pictures of Lucius.  As much as Harry hated to admit it, this photographer was brilliant.  How was he going to get a roll of all the shots taken?  Even the bad ones would go beautifully into his ever growing collection of Lucius Malfoy.  "It's a huge honor."  

            "I realize," Lucius snapped, but the photographer was too busy singing praises to notice his muse's annoyance.  Harry knew why he was getting particularly finicky, not that he ever was not, but the photo shoot had gone over the scheduled time period.  That meant less time for Lucius to have to himself.  What they both _would_ give for some leisure… "Are we almost done?"

            "Yes!  Yes!" the photographer exclaimed, still shooting pictures and gesturing for his assistants to change the lighting.  "Just one more change of clothes and we'll be done."  He pursed his lips and tapped his finger against his chin, thinking.  "Why don't we try…" he glanced toward the rack filled with expensive designer names, "hmmm…"

            "Why not the Snape outfits he wore here?" Harry inserted calmly.  "It was specially tailored for him unlike the clothes that you have on the rack, as nice as they are."  

            "Brilliant idea!"  

            That was how they managed to get out a few minutes earlier… but still--- "That was impossibly long!" Lucius growled, stalking out of the magazine headquarters.  "I hate photo shoots, I despise interviews, and premieres are a pain when you've got producers who can't fucking keep their pricks in their pants."  

            Wow, Lucius was pissed.  And in less than an hour they were going to see Snape.  Must cool him off before then.  There was no question of what Harry had to do but how he had to do it.  No need for the two of them to get into an argument with their highly charged temperaments.  If Lucius exploded, Snape would implode.  Things would get nasty.  Nasty was not good.  Nasty Harry did not want to deal with.  

            "Lucius…"

            "I don't want to hear it."

            "You need to…"  
            "I BLOODY know I need to calm down!" he burst, slamming the car door for tangible emphasis.  "You don't have to fucking tell me what I need to do every goddamn second of every minute of the day, Harold!"  

            It was a cringe worthy moment.  Since when had he ever called him Harold?  Hmm… when was the last time he called him that?  since… he didn't remember.  Still, it was his tone--- that heady anger that was different.  He usually punctuated his name with aggravation or egotism.  Harry sighed and started up his Jetta.  It was going to be a day in which the day crawled and strained to finish its hours up.  Terrible indeed.

* * *

"**I**f his clothes weren't breathtaking on my person…" Lucius muttered, his graceful gait marred by tight shoulders and a rigid back.  Not the effortless elegance he could exude without any strain.  "I wouldn't even be here.  I feel like crap.  I look like crap."  

            Great, he was in one of _those_ downer moods.  He didn't hit them often, not when he had the ego of his size.  When he did, it was a pain.  Everything he did was in the extreme.  Harry breathed in calmly, at least it didn't look like he was going to fall into depression from anything too dramatic.  It must be the suffocating stress that was causing this meltdown.  Lucius had been on worse schedules, but Harry didn't think the Narcissa issue was helping the somewhat hectic weekly itinerary out.  

            "You don't look like crap," Harry murmured soothingly.  "You look fucking gorgeous."

            Lucius's eyebrow perked up and the stress lines near his eyes faded slightly.  "You're joshing."

            Harry made a purpose not to look away from his penetrating gaze.  Didn't want him to think that he was kidding when he wasn't.  How did Lucius not see that he thought he was divine perfection?  He _must _know.  Maybe not in his conscious, but his superego must know.  It was impossible for him not to know.  He'd been so obvious… not too long ago… and it was only recently he'd started getting better at masking himself--- in the last year or so ago?

            "You self absorbed egoist," Harry muttered.  "You know you're beautiful from the root of your hair to the very edge of your toenails.  You don't have an insecure bone in your body.  If you did, you might be more… how shall I phrase this?… more bashfully approachable."  

            "I'm not approachable?"

            "Not bashfully approachable," he amended.

            Lucius rolled his eyes.  "Who would want to be bashful?"

            "The dwarf from _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_."  

            "I mean in reality."

            "What about the loopy guy next door?"

            "What loopy guy next door?"

            "It's a hypothetical.  You know, something that could happen that you ponder…"

            "I know what a fucking hypothetical is," he growled.  "I am not as inanely stupid as you think I am, Harry.  I did go to Oxford, for fuck's sake." 

            "Must you be crude all the time?  And you got into Oxford because you're entire family for the last several generations have gone to Oxford.  You're a legacy and nothing more than that.  Your family also has a huge endowment there.  They'd take you even if you're a flaming idiot, which--- luckily--- you're not.  You're just a…" Harry paused thinking, "egotistical arse."  

            A polite knock interrupted them.  "I apologize," said the young man softly.  "I'm here to do the final fitting for Mr. Malfoy.  Snape will be here in an hour to make sure that everything is in order, but I'm to conduct the fitting."  

            At least Snape was coming, Harry thought, he really did want to thank him for gifting him with that marvelous outfit.  It had made him look spectacular, not something, he mused, that was easy to do with dark vapid looks.  Not that he wanted to be the platinum blond beauty of Lucius, but there was something glorious about the golden look.  Harry was satisfied with his insipid appearance.  There were times when he almost looked good.  

            "If you're here," Lucius snapped, "then get on with it."  

            "Yes, sir," the assistant responded gently, "right away, sir."  

            "Take all the time you need," Harry inserted patiently, "I want him to outshine every actor in the business."  

            "Don't I, already?" 

            "Never hurts to make the competition look trite." 

            "Of course not."  He smirked.  "But what competition?"

            What an egoist!  What a self absorbed egotist!  

* * *

**S**nape was sarcasm given into being.  Harry liked it.  He liked it a lot.  Conversation with him would never be boring, he reflected.  It was always going to be sharp, point blank, and unnerving for those that couldn't keep up.  While he was critically harsh, he was never the least bit unfair in his assessment.  It, he had no doubt, riled Lucius, but with Snape as his designer this season, he had every expectation for him to show up on _the_ Best Dressed List.  Not only that but _be_ the Best Dressed Bloke.  Snape wouldn't settle for anything less.

            "No that's wrong," Snape snapped.  "The way the shirt lines are on his body are off.  Get another one.  That one won't work for his torso.  It makes him look short."  

            "I am not short!" Lucius exclaimed.  He straightened his back to his not short height of 5'11".  

            "Well," Snape smirked, "the shirt makes you look short."  His dark eyes measured Lucius's body.  "And you aren't all that tall to begin with."  That statement wouldn't have that much credence if Snape didn't stand a good 3 inches taller than Lucius.  Lucius was average; Snape was tall.  "Get the other shirt."  

            The assistant ran.  Snape was like a dog's master.  When he commanded, the dog did a trick.  A smile cracked Harry's lips at the simile.  He was entirely too stern of a man for him to ever imagine him cuddling with a puppy.  That would be amusing.  Harry could imagine the fumbling struggle.  He was almost tempted to go out and buy him a puppy, just to see the odd spectacle.  Too bad he didn't know him well enough to do such a thing.  It'd be weird if he did go out and buy him a dog.  

            Snape pursed his lips and circled around Lucius like he was prey.  A strange tradeoff in positions.  Harry had always seen Lucius as being the dominant one, but in this scene he was anything but.  It was Snape, definitely Snape.  Not that Lucius was being submissive, rather his persona wasn't demonstrating the dominance in personality he could exude as easily as he could his gorgeousness.  Maybe he was having an off day.  

            "Your figure," Snape began sharply, "will be vastly improved with my clothes to showcase your body lines."  

            "Vastly improved?" Lucius sneered.  "I think not."  

            _Oh god, this couldn't be happening… _

            "I think so, considering the appalling garments I have seen you wear."  He smirked.  "One always looks to improve yourself.  Consider this a vast improvement, an unparalleled self advancement that will make you the toast of well dressed actors and continue on with the Snape tradition of making actors into more than they have ever been before."  

            "You…" luckily Harry had the foresight to stand right next to Lucius and his hand slapped across to cover Lucius's mouth before any vile words were uttered.  Lucius didn't have bad tastes, he had rather good taste, but when he compared his fashion selections to that of a genius in the designer world--- he was going to come out the loser.  

            "What he means _is_," Harry began heavily, "is that you have honored him by choosing to outfit him for this season.  We both are very grateful for allowing him to wear your breathtaking designs."  

            "I am sure he _means_ exactly the opposite," Snape remarked smoothly, moving close to Harry and staring down at him pointedly.  "But that does not concern me as much as knowing that someone more practical _realizes _the honor I've given to him."  

            He had a marvelously inflective voice.  It was almost in some ways and better in others than Lucius's own tone range.  Sarcasm was a never-ending abyss; conceit was on par with Lucius; the snapping was _true_ snarkiness.  The sneer, that, Harry was not so certain about.  He needed more sneering to judge Snape's sneer effect.  Lucius was the King of Sneer.  The sneer was like a smile was to a beauty queen.  It was what he did well and did often.  

            "He realizes," he protested.  "And," Harry blushed, staring down at his feet since his hands were preoccupied keeping Lucius from saying anything inappropriate, "thank you for the outfit.  It was lovely."  

            "Words mean nothing," Snape stated piercingly.  A cringe almost surfaced if not for the mask Harry had developed to keep his Lucius infatuation hidden.  "If you truly want to thank me," he murmured with some softness, "then join me for dinner on Sunday."  

            He was requesting--- Harry had the option to refuse--- but he didn't think he'd take kindly to a refusal.  It wasn't that he didn't like him, but he was somewhat anachronistic.  His heart, well, wasn't finicky.  What he liked, he grew to love.  And what he loved, it did not fade.  Hadn't 5 long years proven that?  Snape might be interesting to have as a friend, but he wasn't interested in anything more.  If he went… would he be leading him on?

            "It would please me," he added, "if you'd join me for dinner."  

            God, that was so hard to refuse.  He'd _asked_ nicely.  "Okay," he smiled, "dinner it is."  

"Can we get on with this?" Lucius's growl muffled by his hand, having less than its normal ferocity.  He also did not like the way that Snape was playing with Harry by asking him out.  It was Harry, he was--- he was not the type he saw someone like Snape dating.  He was--- he was just Harry!  "Before my legs go numb?"  

            He slapped his thigh playfully.  "Not keeping the body tone you used to eh, Lucius?"  

           Now that Harry's hand was removed from his mouth, he retorted in irritation, "You are the most impossible prat."  

           "And you are the most impossible git."

           "And Snape?"  

           Cat eyes slid to tall, dark, and mysterious.  "He is most interesting."  

           How despicable!  He was doing this to aggravate him, and he was bloody well succeeding.  He knew whatever interest he had in Snape was nothing like the feelings he had for him.  His steel eyes narrowed, what game was he playing?  And why was he playing it?  In the 5 years he'd known him, he'd never known him sully himself with the manipulative tactic.  So why now?

           "I think _he_ is most intriguing," Snape stated smoothly, it made Lucius want to gag.  "And I look forward to seeing you at dinner on Sunday.  I will pick you up at your flat at 7.  Please be prompt, tardiness annoys me."  

           Again, he was gone--- like that.  "How does he know where I live?" Harry wondered aloud.  "I don't think I told him…"

           "It'd be like the git to stalk you."

           "That's crazy."

           "He looks at you like…"

           "Like what?" he questioned sharply.

           "Like he bloody wants to eat you up!"

           Eyebrow quirked upward.  "What an ego lift." 

           "It's disgusting."

           "Now if circumstances were in your favor, you'd think quite kindly about it."  

           "But we're talking about your circumstances."

           "Lucius…"

           "I don't like him."

           Harry snorted.  "Who cares if _you_ like him?  I'm the one going to dinner with him."  

           "I happen to have excellent judgment on character."  

           "Like in the case of Narcissa?"  

           "That was a contrived arrangement," he replied dismissively.  "It was done in the interest of maintaining the purity of the Malfoy line, nothing more.  Narcissa was suitable, considering her blood is nearly as blue as my own."  

           "Still, you chose her."

           "I chose her based on bloodlines, not personality.  It does not count."

           "And why didn't you choose her based on character then?" Harry countered.

           "Because," Lucius sneered lightly, "that is not the way things are done."  

* * *

"**Y**ou're a minute late."  

            "I apologize," Harry snapped.  "That I'm _merely _a minute late."  

            "Don't take that kind of tone with me," he replied sharply, "when you were the one that put yourself in the position to be reprimanded by being late.  Sit down," he commanded.  "And what in god's name are you wearing?"

            He didn't understand his taste in clothes.  True, he didn't want his son parading himself around like a model homo, but he didn't get why Harry felt he had to cover his skin from his neck to his ankles.  Harry was allowed to show some of his lovely skin.  That he wouldn't protest over much.  But this ensemble?  A high neck shirt and long sleeves and a plain black slacks?  Decent enough of an outfit, but not something he'd expect from someone in the circle Harry ran with.  

            "It's called a shirt and a pair of slacks."  

            "I know what they're called," he responded bitingly.  "What I don't understand is why you insist on wearing something so--- chaste and modest.  Aren't boys of your age wanting to flaunt their bodies?"

            "Do you want me to?" Harry retorted.

            "Of course not."

            "Then don't argue with my choice in clothes, _and_," he stressed heavily, "I am not like most _men_ my age."  

            "No, you aren't," Tom agreed.  "By the time boys hit your age, they're making something out of themselves.  Instead, you're wasting your talent and your life in a job that has no meaning at all."

            "Like you should be telling me what to do when you haven't even been in it for half of it!" he exclaimed, he didn't care if anyone was staring at them.  God, Tom was such a bastard at times!  "You want to be a father, but you can't!  You can't!"

            "I still AM!" he roared.  "I am your father, whether you like it or not!"  

            "Some father you were," Harry muttered, "you were never there when I needed you."  

            "I didn't even fucking know you were my son until a few years ago," Tom responded tightly, a harsh rein of control that kept him from screaming.  "If I had known, I would have come to claim you as my own sooner than five years ago.  If I had, then maybe you wouldn't be wasting your precious life as an assistant to Malfoy."  

            "I am not wasting my life."

            "You could be so much more than what you are.  You are _my_ son," he declared heavily.  "As my son, you have the potential and the opportunities to do whatever you want.  But yet, you insist on remaining stuck to the side of an actor that doesn't appreciate you as much as he should."  

            Well, he did have one point right.  Lucius didn't appreciate him.  If he did, maybe he wouldn't be as annoyed nor as upset when he heard Tom belittling his job as Lucius's assistant.  But the facts were the facts.  It was annoying how Lucius didn't realize how much his life would be royally screwed up without him, and it wasn't likely he was ever going to find out because Harry doubted he'd ever want to leave the job he had as his assistant.  Actually, he knew he wouldn't, unless he for some inane reason let Tom get to him.  

"I like my job," he stated clearly.  "That's more than a lot of people can say."  

            "You can't tell me," he snapped sharply, "that you enjoy tending to that arrogant cad every sodding day of your life!  He is impossible to deal with, or so from what I've heard about him."

            Sometimes, he did wonder on that… the problem was that he happened to be in love with the arrogant cad.  "He's not as impossible once you get to know him like I do," he responded calmly.  "He's just difficult when he gets impatient, which is easy to understand when he's being harassed by the paparazzi everywhere he goes."  

            "Not a particularly strong argument," Tom commented.  "Indeed, it's not one of your best.  I would have expected far more from a linguistic/English major who had considered going to Law School not too many years back.  It's still not too late."

            "I don't want to be a lawyer anymore."

            "You passionately wanted to be one 5 years ago."  

            "Things change, people change."

            "They don't change that much," he whispered hoarsely.  "I don't understand why you're throwing away your life with Malfoy.  You have so much talent and drive and intelligence," he murmured.  "And you're _my_ beautiful son.  You could do anything."

            "I'm happy as I am," Harry stated firmly.  He bit his bottom lip.  "But… _thank you_ for caring."  

            "That's what a father does."  

            "You've never been a father to me," he retorted.

            He sighed raggedly.  "I… apologize."

            "You were my mom's biggest mistake."

            "And you are the result of the one thing I _never_ regretted. 

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**Author's Note:** This was longer than the first chapter by a few hundred words.  Not that much, but it did take me nearly 3 weeks to write it.  Considering how much effort I put into this, I would really appreciate it if you let me know if you like it and why you like it.  Just knowing you like it, is great.  But if you want to tell me why, what scenes stand out, or how my characterizations of Lucius/Severus/Tom are going I'd really like that!  I know Harry's different, but he's a lot older than most fanfics have him as.  Usually he's around 18/19ish but in this fanfic he's 27.  Also, Draco's age has been changed to 17 instead of 18 and 14 (which were in different uploaded versions).  Draco will show up with prominence in Chapter 3 as will Severus (obviously as Harry's going on a date with Sev!!).  So how do you like the role reversals?  Harry's lovesick over Lucius and Severus is pursuing Harry, usually it's Lucius after Harry and Harry after Severus.  What can I say… I like being different.  I also think this is the only serial non-magic HP/LM ship?  And (muahaha) I've returned to my glorious WAD days!  Enjoy it!  Review it!

Thanks to the following reviewers _(you are uber great and this chapter wouldn't have been possible without you_!): HecateDeMort, **Ancalyme** (writing FF? I don't understand), **Quila** (who said it was rape?), devlish_angel, **Eaiva le Fay** (thanks, I do try), **NegaQueen Voldemort** (wow -_-), crissy, **Protect Jade** (HP/LM is delicious), **Sakrchan** (Glad I'm consistently readable!), **Lolita** (haha, I'm good for something), eav, athenakitty, **Tracy Mintzmyer** (who said it's only HP/LM?), oracale, Separatrix, Nemati, roxierocks, **rhianwyn carma** (Harry's a pill to Lucius's prick-y-ness), **sigildagger** (best short review ever), **Lasitar** (answered all your questions except the one about why Harry is Lucius's assistant, that'll happen sometime soon and you're dead on about Harry saving Lucius, -chuckles- you're insightful, keep it up!), Lindiel Eryn, Layce74, April, **mySakurazukamori** (blind as in he can't see the obvious), atalante, **illucia** (I never said it was going to be a true threesome, just that it's possible), bet's, LunaBard, silversfall1, mothermindgames, **~Mary~** (Harry's history will come out eventually, you're predicting things quite well), MyOriginalIntent, Quoth the Raven, Miranda, demora, Toxikos, siriuslybored, Pixiestyxs, Kathy stgqvk, **Redrum** (thanks, I did write the poem), care, MistWalker, and Alicorn.  

* * *

Chapter 3 is coming soon.  At the earliest in 2 weeks, at the latest by the end of March!  


	3. Jealousy is a Fickle Goddess

**LOVE ATROCIOUS**  
by Yih

* * *

This has been beta'd by **Blackumbrage** (formerly known as Blackumbridge). She knows she's my bunny block. 

**Tom Note:** Tom is Lord Voldemort.  

**Correction #1:** I should have corrected all the vague he pronoun references.  Sorry last time I was lazy.  I didn't go through and check it myself and I just used "find and change" option.  And my beta wasn't much better I'm 'fraid.  

* * *

**Possession**

It is an emotional whim  
He feels it only at times  
But when it comes, it comes  
Its power is that of an avalanche  
It won't stop 'til it's over

I don't understand where it comes from  
Sometimes it's utterly unexplainable  
It makes no logical sense  
Such a random feeling  
That comes when it comes

He demands ownership  
How intolerably selfish  
There is no giving countenance  
He takes and takes and takes  
And in the end, he only wants more

I receive nothing; I give everything  
I am made barren  
I am a shell he has stolen from too long  
Does he want me drained? emptied?  
A doll for him to control?

* * *

Chapter 3  
_Jealousy is a Fickle Goddess_

"I prefer my father."

            Not that it really mattered that much, his statement to Dumbledore about which parent Draco wished to stay with.  At the age of 17, if he wanted to live on his own--- he could.  But with that simple and direct assertion, a disastrous mess was averted.  Thank goodness.  Unfortunately, the statement landed Draco at his flat.  Another added craziness to his life.  

Now Harry was sandwiched between youthful arrogance and honed egotism.  Lovely.  Absolutely smashing.  Too bad Draco had reached an age where he no longer required schooling unless he wanted to go on.  A pity Draco had taken Lucius up on his offer for a year sabbatical to travel with them anywhere they went.  Two Malfoys, how was he going to survive?    

Ding dong.  Oh god, it was Snape.  It was precisely 7:00 pm.  Wasn't he one for promptness?!  And where were his shoes?  Damn it.  Having Draco staring at him in blatant amusement wasn't helping either, the incorrigible monster!  Instead he was lazing on the couch with the air of a general insolence.  Couldn't Draco find it in his heart to help him find his darn shoes?

            Draco quirked an eyebrow up.  "You look almost nice today, Harry.  A date tonight?"  Irritating brat!  But he was far too old and far too gorgeous for his subconscious to take his mental statement seriously.  Truly, he was a carbon copy of Lucius.  The only difference was his nose was a bit more pert and feminine, as much as Draco hated when it was pointed out that he had his mother's nose.  Everything else though was trademark Malfoy.

            "I do," Harry muttered.  "Why don't you help me and get the door for me?"

            "I'd rather not," Draco stated blithely.  "I'd rather you not go out at all and come back to bed with me."

            Red flush swept over his cheeks.  What was with Draco and insinuating innuendos that were nothing of what they seemed?  The only darn reason Draco was sleeping in his bed in the first place was that he refused to sleep on the couch or to let him do the same or was willing to share his father's bed.  It was Harry's, or Harry could always sleep with his father.  Draco was decidedly the lesser of the two evils and as Harry had added--- he had slept with Draco when he was a young hormonal teen.  And as he retorted, Draco was still a hormonal teen!  

            "You are…"

            "Impossible?" Draco suggested.  "Horrid?  Unbearable?  Outrageous?  Utterly divine?"

            "You wished."

            "I do not wish that what I am."  

            "You are an excessively wordy Eton graduate who needs to seriously stop hanging around poetry blathering idiots whose only definition of self worth is that they can compose a sonnet in admiration of their person without scarcely a thought because they've memorized their heady composition by heart."

            Draco smirked.  "You're saying I'm wordy?"

            "It was meant to be a blatant example, moron." 

            "Name calling is quite childish, doll."

            Ding dong.  Ding dong.  As much as Harry would have enjoyed getting into a verbal tumble with Draco, Snape was calling and he _had_ promised to go out on a date with him.  Why in heavens had he said yes?  Oh yes, he remembered now--- Snape had asked nicely.  That had been rather unexpected, and when the unexpected happened he did weird things.  It made sense in a vague sort of way.  The situation was slanted so his response was tilted. 

            And… ding dong ding dong ding dong… he really had to get the door before Snape tired his old door bell out.  Most people he knew just knocked.  Then again with the way Snape was going at it with the doorbell, he probably didn't want him to knock.  Snape might be a lanky man, but he didn't look weak.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Good with words too.  His recommendations weren't too shabby.  

            "Your lover," Draco drawled lazily, "is quite impatient."  

            "Shut up."

            "I know you adore me and my pretty words."

            "Damn you."

            "And you know, you're in bloody Britain.  You ought to use the slang, as you Americans call it.  So instead of shut up, it should be sod off or instead of damn you, fuck you.  For all your independence and freedom, you Americans are an amazingly moralistic lot."  

            "And is that such a bad thing?" Harry retorted, finally making it to the door and opening it.  

            "I would say it is a very bad thing!" Draco commented cheekily.

            Snape gave him a measured look, a look that was not only curious but also exasperated.  "Your company," he stated blandly, "seems to impair your door opening abilities."  

            "Hey!" Draco exclaimed.  "You didn't tell me your boyfriend was funny."

            Oh god, the way in which Snape rolled his eyes--- it was insanely perfect with the way the aggravation spun off his eyeballs.  Harry was almost tempted to applaud.  Lucius could take a few lessons on being an absolute caustic bastard from Snape.  He had thought Lucius's eye rolling was good, but it was nothing compared to Snape's.  But god did he want to strangle Draco!  Snape wasn't his goddamn boyfriend!

            "Don't mind him," Harry muttered, "he's got this tongue that he doesn't know what to do with."

            "Oh," Draco murmured sensually, "I know exactly what to do with this tongue."

            Harry had to get out of there before Draco made him turn redder than he already was.  He grabbed Snape's hand and shot Lucius's son a sharp glare before dragging Snape out of his flat with him.  "Let's go," Harry declared.  "It's getting late."

            "Yes," Snape agreed, "no thanks to your procrastinated door opening skills."

* * *

"This is unbearably awkward."

            They were sitting (at the posh restaurant).  They were not eating (since there was no food).  They weren't talking (as he had no idea what to say to him).  He had only commented to break the uncomfortable silence.  If the whole evening was going to be like this, he'd be bored out of his mind.  And he knew that it wasn't suppose to be like this.  If anything, Snape was suppose to chew him up with his sharp words.  

            "I apologize," his posture stiff, unforgiving, "I do not date."

            "Then why this?"  He gestured at the stylish surroundings.  "If you do not date?"  

            "Because," his voice tight, "your audacious and acerbic commentary demanded my attention."  

            Now, Snape was certainly a different man.  He appreciated his sarcasm?  That was almost shocking.  Harry studied him, carefully.  Not a kind man, undoubtedly, but a man who understood the value of truth unhidden.  Maybe this evening wouldn't be so bad.  If he could survive Lucius's imploded ego, Snape's harsh sincerity would not be unduly difficult.  He even dared to hope that this date might be remembered fondly in later years.  He had few worthy dates to reminisce on.  

            "The service is atrocious."

            "The wine is good."

            "It is satisfactory," he murmured, his lips curling up with distaste as he tasted the aged red wine.  "It is not that good."

            "It's better than what I usually drink."

            "Then heaven forbid your taste," Snape sneered.  "This vintage is not up to my standards, but few restaurants carry what I consider worthy of my taste buds."

            "You sound like Lucius."

            He looked affronted.  "I am nothing like Malfoy."

            "Are you so certain?" Harry teased.  

            Snape gave him a measured look that said _of course._  "He is a preposterously arrogant bastard that…"

            "Is good at what he does," Harry finished for him.

            "He is reasonable at what he does," Snape amended.

            "I'd say that he's better than reasonable."

            "And you're biased."

            Harry inclined his head.  He had to give him that.  "I will concede that I am."

            "If you did not, then you are blind," Snape retorted.  "And I knew you'd not be."

            "Such confidence…"

            "That is not misplaced," he murmured.

            A blush, Harry could not help.  He was being kind again, unexpectedly.  Such surprises were pleasant and pleased him.  "I endeavor to keep it that way."

            "I think you will."

            "Oh shall I?" Harry queried teasingly.

            Snape smirked.  "You have done nothing but extended my admiration for you with your adept handling of an egotistical actor such as Malfoy.  If I had the horrible misfortune to switch places with you, I would be exceedingly ill-humored.  How you manage, I can only continue to be taken by amazement."  

            "It's a daily struggle, I assure you."

            "I can imagine.  How do you desist strangling the conceited fellow?"

            Harry giggled, thinking that not too many days ago he was dreaming of just that.  "It's hard, very hard.  There are those days, you know, when you get up and you already wish that the day was over."  

            "It must be too often working for Malfoy."

            "He isn't…"

            Snape waved his hand in a manner that said, _I won't listen to your defense when I've got my opinion already so move on---_ so he did.  What use was it when his mind was formed?  Much like Lucius's was of him.  Thinking of those two locked in a room together with no key would be insanity.  

            "Well," Harry continued, "those particular days, just thinking about having to deal with Lucius's moods is unfailingly, indisputably, and absolutely a depraved existence."  

            "I concede all points as accurate."

            Harry smiled.  Snape smiled.  "Snape…"

            "Severus."

            "Un--- Severus," he murmured, his name feeling strange but not wrong on his tongue, "you are a strange man."

            "Are you not a weird man?" Snape---Severus countered.

            "You are impossible."

            "And yet you are here with me at this horribly slow restaurant chatting with me."

            "Yes,  I am."

            "So, I must conclude that you like strange men."

            "And… you must like weird men."

            "I don't," Severus stated bluntly, "but you are the special exception."

            "Oh I am?!  Am I?"

            "You most certainly are," he confirmed.  "If you weren't, you wouldn't be here at this extravagantly expensive restaurant that thinks it will only become more of the place to eat by continuing on with its terribly slow service."  

            "If they're slow," Harry commented with wry insight, "it keeps the chairs filled with arses and makes them look busier than they are because no one's about to leave when they've waited this long for their food."

            "I'm about to," Severus growled while his stomach grumbled.  "I'm famished."

            "You sound like it."  

            Harry's stomach whined.  "And yours cries for food."  

            "At least mine doesn't gripe."

            "I can't help it!" Harry exclaimed, feeling foolish and afraid that Snape was going to think him an idiot.  "I mean," he remarked lamely, "my stomach's hungry."

            "There's nothing wrong with your stomach expressing its needs," Severus murmured.  "Isn't that what life about?  Expressing _its_ wants."  

            "An Epicurean theory." 

            "I'd say more like _carpe diem_."

"Seize the day," Harry whispered.  

            "Indeed," Severus stared at him with the intensity of a challenge, "every day should be seized, every evening and every night too."  

            "And are we?" 

            "I say that we are."

* * *

  
Where was Harry?  It was midnight!  He never stayed out this late.  If he did, he called to let Lucius know where he was.  But he hadn't called and bloody hell!  He was getting worried.  And he wasn't the worrywart--- Harry was!

            Draco had told him that he had gone out on a date with Snape.  They had left sometime around 7:00 pm.  Dates didn't last that long for him.  Harry got bored too easily, he said.  Indeed, Lucius couldn't remember the last time Harry had been on a date with anyone.  How long had it been then?  Several months ago.  On the last occasion, he had come back early, very early.  

            "Maybe he forgot to call," Draco suggested.

            "Harry never forgets!" Lucius growled, still impatiently stalking up and down the hall.  "He always tells me where he is.  I don't know why he hasn't yet.  He could be hurt or something and need help."  

            "I highly doubt that," his son drawled.  "Harry is quite capable of taking care of himself no matter what kind of situation he finds himself in."  

            "But---" he bit his tongue when the door wobbled open and he saw Harry's dark head.  Whatever interest he had with word sparring with his son dissipated.  His anger and his anxiety needed a vent.  And who was always his vent, but him?  "WHERE THE FUCKING HELL HAVE YOU BEEN YOU BLOODY BINT?"  

            Harry dragged his head up to look at him.  He was tired.  His throat was parched.  And what did Lucius do but scream at him like an emotionally psychotic actor.  Lovely.  Did he realize that he was staying in his flat and that if he were anyone with a tad bit less patience, he'd be out on the street at the mercy of his merciless fans?  "Out."  

            "Where?"

            Harry rolled his eyes with keen exaggeration.  "Dinner."

            "Dinner doesn't last 5 sodding hours!"

            His shoulders shrugged.  "The conversation was good."

            Lucius wanted to scream, but frankly--- he'd already done that.  He'd like to yell, but that was must like screaming.  Again, he'd already done that.  He'd like to take Harry and shake him hard, but he looked too exhausted to stand it.  He wanted to bloody well do something, but he knew that he ought to let him sleep.  They had a long day tomorrow.  "Go to bed!"

            "Yes, papa," he slurred slightly, more in weariness than from any type of alcohol tipsiness.  "Righty-o."  

            "Draco," Lucius snapped, "help him."  

            "Might as well," Draco muttered, "I was only waiting up so he wouldn't wake me up when he returned."  Even though he sounded less than pleased, his touch was gentle and caring as he guided Harry to their shared bedroom.  "Good night, papa." 

            Lucius decided Harry did have one good idea this night.  Eye rolling was not overused, if anything--- it was underutilized.  He rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair viciously.  It bothered him, he decided with severe aggravation, that he thought the conversation was good at dinner.  He… damn it, he wanted to be the only bloody bloke he had any meaningful verbal communication with.  

            It didn't help that he thought that Snape was an absolutely unbearable git.  What the fuck did Harry see in him?  Lucius didn't understand.  Snape insulted him.  He acted like he had one too many objects stuffed up his ass.  The man was simply constipated.  His teeth grinded together and he clenched his fist.  Bloody hell, he was jealous!  He squeezed his eyes shut.  He was old enough to be Harry's goddamn father.  

             He itched for liquor.  Vodka especially.  Something hard that he could drown down his throat and let throb away his thoughts.  Too bad he couldn't get splattered.  Tomorrow was a busy day.  If things went to plan they'd be preparing to leave for his next movie set.  One shot or two, he mused, wouldn't hurt.  He downed one.  In a few days, he could forget about Snape.  He wasn't going to see him for at least three months.  He smirked and let the second shot burn his throat.  And… sets always ran longer than planned.  This time he was glad.  

* * *

Sunlight streamed in, flooding his room with a golden glow.  Harry stretched leisurely like a cat.  Nibbling on his bottom lip, he found it hard not to grin like an idiot.  Last night had been not wonderful or fabulous or anything cliché like that--- the first date had been droll.  There had never been a boring moment once the wall of silence had been breeched.  

Talking about breeched silence… Draco was softly snoring next to him.  Harry leaned up onto his elbows and studied the gorgeous young man.  Draco appeared almost innocent when he was sleeping, but he knew the truth beneath the angelic beauty.  He didn't have an innocent bone in his body.  He wasn't surprised when he'd tried to shock him with the tidbit fact that he'd lost his virginity at 14.  It only made him snort with indifference.  He expected no less from a Malfoy.  They were born with this innate screaming sensuality.  

            Harry smiled and it only widened when he noticed what was on the bed stand.  Foolish boy.  Reaching over to grab the glass of water, he briefly considered if it would be too mean of him to wake Draco up at 7 am.  Then again with how relentlessly Draco'd teased him last night when he was rather tired out from going from 5 in the morning to 1 the next morning--- a total of 20 hours spent awake, he'd had every reason to be exhausted.  But the brat had nagged him and he deserved a good drowning this morning.  Bottom's away!

            Draco sputtered.  His arms flailed.  It was an endearing sight to see the usual grace of a Malfoy totally slaughtered this early in the morning.  Served him right for always calling him a disastrous morning person.  So what if he stubbed his toe making his way to the bathroom or always stumbled over him when trying to get him out of bed?  At least he wasn't a grump in the morning like Lucius!

            "Fuck you, Harry."

            "Good morning to you too, Draco."  

            Draco grinned and dragged him back down to the bed with him, promptly flipping Harry underneath him.  It didn't matter that he was older than him, that didn't make Harry bigger than him.  He was actually quite a bit smaller than him and Draco was still growing.  He groaned as Draco proceeded to try smothering him with the pillow he'd drooled on.  Egh.  Some of the drool was new… gross--- morning drool.

            When Draco finally let him up, Harry gagged.  "You are so utterly un-sexy in the morning."

            Draco stuck his tongue out.  "Says who?"

            Harry laughed.  He liked it when he was charmingly childish instead of trying to be sophisticatedly snobbish.  "Says the drool on the pillow."

            "I do not drool."  Draco raised his nose up like a prissy queen.  "You kick."

            "You snore."  
            "You…" he pursed his lips together, thinking intently, "babble."

            "You… I what?  I babble?"

            "Ya, you talk in your sleep."

            "Really?"  
            "Yup," Draco confirmed.  "Downright freaky."

            "What do I say?"

            "Bwaha… agekdw….. eotijdfslgka!"

            "I do not!" Harry cried out, insanely offended to think he spoke incoherently like that.

            "Do too!"

            "Do not!"

            "Do too too too!"

            "Argh!"

            "You say that too, so there!"  With that, he took another pillow and hit him in the face with it.  "And you say…"  Draco didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying because Harry had retaliated by smashing his pillow into his face and had somehow managed to flip him over and straddle his hips to keep the pillow mashed over his chattering lips.  

            "I DO NOT BABBLE IN MY SLEEP, DAMN IT!"

* * *

Everything was packed and ready.  The last of the custom made Snape wardrobe had arrived this morning, and he'd already neatly folded them and placed them into one of the various suitcases that Lucius insisted that he needed.  Harry sighed exasperatedly.  He swore Lucius packed more than a socialite off on his high society honeymoon.  It was ridiculous.  They didn't need four suitcases when he was going to be wearing period costumes for the entire production.  But he insisted and Harry… was merely his assistant.  Who was he to say no?

            Thank goodness, they'd be gone later this afternoon.  If they stayed here any longer, Lucius might want another suitcase.  At least, Draco was more sensible and had decided that he only needed one suitcase as he had no qualms about raiding his father's designer clothes.  He had decided on one suitcase as well, so that they wouldn't get slammed with extra baggage fees.  He was under and so was Draco, they could each claim one of Lucius's suitcases.  Two a piece… they were good to go.  

It could be worse, Harry decided.  Lucius was actually looking forward to this role too.  True, it was a return to him as a villain--- but the role wasn't that much of a traditional bad guy.  Lucius was more of a sadistic prick with leanings toward morality when it suited his purposes.  It was an intriguing _and_ challenging role.  Something that was worthy of his ability, he thought, worthy of him.  

            "Are you ready to go?" Harry inquired.  "We ought to start heading toward Heathrow." His hand startled Lucius briefly as it rested on his shoulder.  "Jumpy today," Harry commented with amusement, "aren't you?  You nearly spilt your coffee this morning when I walked in on you in the bathroom.  You aren't," he gasped, shocked, "getting prudish in your old age, are you?" 

            Lucius scowled.  As if he'd ever be that.  "I'm not old, first off," he replied sharply.  The only reason he'd been taken by surprise was because he'd been lost in thought--- reflections about Lucius, actually.  "Secondly, I'll never be prim and proper like you.  The real question is are you finally getting up to the raunchy level a young man of your age is suppose to be?"  

            "Your idea of raunchiness," Harry murmured darkly, "would land you in prison."

            "You, my dear," Lucius retorted, "are essence of innocence."

            Harry shrugged. "Better than being depraved like you."

            "Aren't you going to protest that you aren't that innocent?" Lucius jeered.

            "Severus says that my innocence is lovely," Harry remarked.  

            Lucius snorted and rolled his eyes.   "So it's 'Severus' now?"  

            "He asked me to call him that."  

"So you'll do everything he asks of you?" Lucius snapped.  

"What's gotten into you?" Harry retorted.  "It's like you have a cane up your ass."  

"Pardon me," Lucius spat, "if I find Snape impossible to handle."

            The same might be said about him, Harry thought unkindly but with a vague sense of amusement.  He didn't understand what Lucius had against Severus, other than that Severus seemed to derive much joy from criticizing Lucius.  But didn't he do the same?  He rather thought they'd get along famously, if they talked.  They were a good deal alike, snappy and witty, not to mention having vile tongues on their person.  Now, if only they could get past their atrocious stubbornness.  Harry frowned, like that was _ever_ going to happen.  

 "Hey!" Draco exclaimed loudly from outside the bedroom.  "Are you two almost done?  We do need to get to the airport.  I don't know about you two, but I don't fancy missing the bloody plane."

            Harry sighed and grabbed the passports.  As if he was going to trust Lucius with them after the fiasco with the last film production they'd done out of the country.  Not a rat of a chance.  Last time had been simply hellish.  Lucius had forgotten his passport, having left it next to his dresser and they had had to miss the first flight and been postponed for a day waiting for the next one.  "C'mon," he urged, slapping his shoulders lightly, "let's go."

            "Getting feisty, aren't you?"

            "You can make any comments you want in the car," Harry grumbled.  "But I don't want a word out of you 'til we get all your impossible luggage in the trunk."

            "Yes, Master," Lucius replied docilely.  

            He glowered _as if_!  "Nice try," Harry responded blandly, "but you have no master but yourself."

            "If you know that," Lucius muttered, "why do you even bother?"  
            "If I don't, who will?"  

* * *

To Lucius's intense displeasure and Harry's shocked delight, Severus was waiting for him at the gate with a single orchid.  What in the world was he doing here?  Harry hadn't thought he'd see Severus at all… certainly not for several months, and even then he had his doubts about him waiting for him.  It wasn't like he was that great of a catch.  Hell, he couldn't even choose an outfit that Severus didn't disparage with his acid humor.  

            "I don't know why your eyes are ridiculously enlarged," Severus commented caustically.  "I have the common courtesy to say good-bye, even if you don't."  

            He smiled anyway.  Dependably snide Severus.  Underneath that exterior _and _interior sarcasm, there was a somewhat romantic layer--- however thin that it was.  It did get him to do some utterly sweet things, like coming to the airport just to give him an orchid.  Harry really hoped that the months apart didn't ruin the friendship they were starting to have.  As much as he'd like a relationship with Severus, a week of knowing each other and months apart didn't make that particularly realistic.  

"I did say good-bye."

            "A message on my answering machine hardly suffices."  

            Harry quirked an eyebrow up.  "What will satisfy you then?"  

            "This," Severus whispered, tilting his chin up and lowering his lips upon his, "only this."

His thoroughness seared Harry's resistance.  For a first kiss, Harry had to admit, Severus was rather good.  It was remarkable, actually.  This was how he imagined a kiss with Lucius would be like.  Warning bells went off in his head.  He should not be thinking about another man's kisses while he was getting headily kissed out of his mind.  Really, Severus was doing amazing things with his tongue.  If his arm wasn't firmly wrapped around his waist, he felt he'd rather be a puddle of boneless bliss on the floor.  

            Who would have thought such a rigid and icy man would be such a fabulous silky and hot kisser?  Then again, he did have that dark mysteriousness going--- _oh god that tongue of his_--- for him.  Mmm… he was melting, utterly melting.  He decided fervently if he had to die, this'd be a nice way to go--- drowning in a kiss that burned and flamed and scorched indelibly.  The question was: what was the sex going to be like?!  

_Whoa_, Harry's prudish side yelped, he'd only known the man for a month.  

Yeah, yeah, but this was a damn fine kiss.  And it wasn't over yet…

* * *

"Public displays are low class," Lucius sneered from where he was standing with his son watching the ostentatious embrace.  What in heaven's name was Harry doing letting that vile man kiss him like that in a place that was very, very public?  Was he crazy?  Wasn't he always the one that was so staunch for 'proper and meticulous' behavior in public?

            Draco wrinkled his nose.  "You're despicably jealous."

            A narrowed eye glare was aimed at his impetuous son while Harry and Severus continued to snog without any regard to the passengers watching them with interest that was on par with the two blond Malfoys.  "And why ever would you think that?"

            "Because your eyes are spitting fire."

            "I have no idea where you get your blunt tongue," Lucius remarked sharply.

            Draco shrugged.  "Everyone says I am your likeness, so most likely from you."

            "I am _not_ jealous."  

            "You are," Draco stated calmly.  "You are very jealous."

            "And you are _very_ wrong."

            "I am a Malfoy; therefore, I am always right."

            "You are right when you are not speaking to _the_ Malfoy."

            "Arrogant, aren't you?" Draco mused.

            "And you aren't?"

            "At least I'm not the one that's unwilling to admit envy when it's sodding obvious."

            Lucius gritted his teeth and growled, "I am not jealous."

            "Oh, but father," Draco murmured, "you are.  You truly are."

            "If I am, then you are crazy."

            "Crazy right, perhaps."

            "Do you intentional try to be the bane of my existence?"  

            His son smirked.  "I am your bane.  It's been truly hard though."

            God Draco was despicably irritating at times.  He had to have inherited it from Narcissa, there was no way he'd gotten all those annoying traits from him.  No matter what Harry said that his son was his younger clone.  "If it's so hard, then cease to be such a pain."  

            "It's hard when you're being a git," Draco muttered.

            "And you're not, you immature prat?" Lucius retorted.

            "I'm immature?!" Draco exclaimed.  "You're the adult, _father._"

            Lucius pursed his lips together into a straight line and had that particular expression that Draco knew too well meant he had scraped off all his father's limited patience away.  "It would be wise," he began insidiously, "my son, to not try my rather lacking patience when you will be stuck with me for months without the opportunity to run off somewhere."  

            "Who says I cannot?" Draco remarked, knowing full well he was pushing all the wrong buttons and not caring one whit.  He was confident that he could get Harry to help him if he really needed to escape his father's terrible temper.  "Even if you're filming in bloody America?"  

            "You don't know your way around."

            "Father," he drawled, "I can find my way around."

            "You will not disobey me, Draco Malfoy!"

            Draco blinked carelessly and decided that maybe he ought to back down just a bit.  "So how long do you think they're going to go at it?" he questioned.  "I'll wager you that Snape will stop the kiss."  

            "I believe Harry will," Lucius responded instead.

            "So what's the stakes?"  
            "Must you persist in being immature?"

            "Betting is for adults, daring is for children."

            Lucius glared at his son.  Sometimes Draco's cheek was too much.  

            "So the bet?"

* * *

Drowning was a nice word, Harry decided, especially when it was drowning in a kiss of fire.  A flush of disappointment streamlined his body when he felt Severus withdrawing from him, his lips leaving his own.  It was all he could do not to sag against him.  Rather humiliating how solid like jelly he felt in the knees.  It was enough that he was using him as a support post.  

            "That was a _proper_ good-bye," Severus whispered.  "I'll see you in a month."

            "A month?" Harry questioned, confused.  He was going to be gone longer than a month, a few months and perhaps even several if things got delayed as they sometimes tended to do.  "I'll be gone for three at the least."  

            Severus smirked.  "You'll be in L.A.," he reminded Harry.  "It's hardly an out there location for fashion."  

            "Oh!"  Harry hadn't even considered that.  "You'll be in L.A.?"

            "In a month," Severus repeated sardonically.  "You sound drunk."

            Harry almost giggled, but he restrained himself.  "Why?"

            "For a premiere."  

            "I'll see you then."  

            Severus tucked the orchid into Harry's pocket.  "Good-bye."  

            "Bye."  

            The way Severus walked, he glided like he was the most important (and most arrogant) person there.  Reminded Harry quite a bit of Lucius's posture.  It was eerie how similar they were to him.  They had the same confident (sometimes overconfident) mannerism.  However, Severus was not as prone to snide comments when riled--- though Harry had yet to see him get pissed at anyone.  Lucius, though, was very emotional when he was angered.  Didn't happen often, but he lost it with him more often than anyone.  

            A cold finger traced the back of his neck.  Lucius.  "That was quite the farewell kiss," Lucius stated sarcastically.  "Quite the performance.  I had no idea he was your boyfriend.  How much practice did it take on your dates?"  

            "Leave off, _father,_" Draco cut in sharply.  "Stop being such a jackass."  

            Harry smiled, ignoring Lucius's sullen tone.  Instead, he turned to Draco and informed him happily, "That was a wonderful first kiss."  

            Bloody hell, that was some first kiss.  Lucius scowled deeply inside.  He wasn't about to give his son any further ammo over him in this silly argument about how he was jealous of Snape with Harry.  He didn't mean anything to him.  Nothing!  Absolutely nothing!

            Draco turned to Lucius and smirked.  "You know, you lost the bet."

            Bet?!  He narrowed his eyes and scowled at Lucius.  "What bet?"

            "Oh, it's nothing," Draco added slyly, "just a small wager."

            "A wager on what?"

            "Your love life," he answered with intentional naiveté as he gazed meaningfully at his father who was pointing the finger at him.  "That's all."

            Harry's eyes whirled over to Lucius and he yelled, "LUCIUS MALFOY, HOW DARE YOU?!?"

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter is about a thousand words shorter than normal.  Sorry, but it took more than 3 weeks to write it and there's nothing more I can say than what I've already said for this chapter.  It's not that short, still quite longer than my other stuff so no complaints?  Schoolwork is piling up on me and a virus wiped out my harddrive (luckily I had this backed up so I didn't lose too much, but I lost enough to make it QUITE painful.  Anyway I'll be trying to push my icky grades up (because they're in the dumps right now) and I'll see if I can fit in a 30 minute session every now and then.  Let me know what you think of Harry's and Severus's date, Draco's timely appearance, the dynamics of Harry's and Draco's friendship, and Lucius's jealousy.  That's all!  Reviews are wonderful.  

Thanks to my super AWESOME and INCREDIBLE reviewers (I couldn't do this without you): **Ilucia** (b/c I don't think he should be working when he's 15, and it's important HOW long Lucius and Harry have had a working relationship), **NegaQueen**** Voldemort** (glad I keep up to expectations), ncgal, **Kaze** (more on Voldie will be discussed later), **frizzy** (ty), Sarah, **C.M. Aeris Queen of Insanity** (git says hand's off), **Eternalfiresong** (if you want HP/LV go read Fallen, the relationship here will be strictly father/son.  I never said it would end up a threesome but there will be moments when Harry's in the midst of two ongoing battles.  I haven't decided yet.), Nemati, **Aquarra** (egh… I have an overactive imagination), **Quoth**** the Raven** (Harry's past will bite him soon), **Eaiva**** le Fay** (Sev doesn't know about Harry's unconditional love for Lucius, he will though), Moonlady, Quill, **Wynter**** Nite **(Yes Lucius is temporarily living w/ Harry, but it's not such a big deal as they're almost always together in some way or another as Harry's Lucius's assistant/agent/everything), **anonymous** (thanks, I like this one a lot too), **Lindiel**** Eryn** (yes Tom is Voldemort), Sky, Lady of Hogwarts, lack_agia, sigildagger, SiLvErFaTeD, Perona, M14Mouse, **The angelic vampire** (update yours and I'll update mine ;p), NymphGirl, **GY** (can't tell you, but no one dies in this one), **agge** (as this is novel length, there's plenty of time for me to discuss Lucius and Severus, but remember this is mainly told in Harry's 3rd POV), chekita, Shuki-aka Quickjewel, TigerBlak, **Kemis** (Happy Early Birthday), **ntamara** (Draco's a god), **crissy** (more like a ferocious daddy bear), **IncubusSuccubus** (no Sev knows what he wants when he wants it.), **dawn** (yes, realize that I switch POV's, most don't comment on it anymore since that's the way I write, and it's never in the middle of a paragraph though.  I've been working on it, but sometimes it's nice to see another character's POV.), devilish angel, athenakitty, **pussbb** (probably no randy producer), **aryth** (believe what you will, I haven't planned that far ahead), tati1, Redrum, MoonlightDream, silaqui, **care** (sorry, but it's not easy being my beta).

You may contact me (to chat, to ask questions, etc.) here… AIM (sevviepooh) or MSN (wan_mei_zhu_yi @ hotmail.com).  

* * *

Chapter 4 should be out sometime early April (that's tentative and I'm hoping that is the latest it'll be out, but I don't know…)  


	4. Film's a Lifestyle

**LOVE ATROCIOUS**  
by Yih

* * *

This has been beta'd by **Blackumbrage** (formerly known as Blackumbridge). She knows she's my bunny block. 

Also Chapter 3 (the vague pronoun references) has been corrected.  If it says "Correction #1" on the top that is the correct version.  Just refresh until you get it.  

* * *

**Workaholic**

He likes to work  
I like to watch him work  
There's poetry in him  
There's something indescribable about him  
That moves me to pieces

He says acting is a lifestyle  
That filming is a way of living  
That everything he does  
He has to be proud of  
I'm proud of him

It doesn't matter what he does  
As long as he loves what he's doing  
Which is why I'm here  
Making sure that he gets the scripts  
That he wants to act

I don't care that he doesn't realize  
That I love him more than life  
It's enough to see him doing what he loves  
M aybe one day work won't be enough for him  
And I'll be there waiting

* * *

Chapter 4  
_Film's a Lifestyle_

"You, my dear," Lucius drawled, "are quite a pretty thing." 

"Thank you," Harry murmured softly, his eyes averted downwards, "sir." 

"And _far_ too innocent." 

Harry nodded, telling Lucius that so far he was doing his lines perfectly—not that he ever did his lines shabbily when the purpose of this was to run through his lines before getting to the set tomorrow. There was a reason why Lucius was never out of work, he was always tremendously prepared for his roles, ever the professional. Harry sighed as his eyes traveled down to look at the thick stack of sheets he held. It was going to be a long night.

"But naiveté can be sweet," Lucius commented, "and it can be disastrous." He moved closer to Harry and cupped his face like the script directions instructed. "I am not one to repress my desires," he whispered almost harshly as he dipped his face down so that his lips were brushing against Harry's ear. "I don't hold back even if I'm cruel and it hurts." 

"You're trying to scare me." 

"And for a very good reason," Lucius rasped, "for I am not someone to toy with for I will toy with you and tear from you every bit of innocence." His tongue flicked out and licked Harry's ear lobe. "There is no going back. There are much nicer men out there. Go to them. You will be tainted and corrupted with me." 

His sex appeal, egads! Damn the man for being such a filthy, filthy sex god. It was hard, so very difficult for Harry to concentrate on reading the words in front of his eyes. Uh… where was he again? Oh! There he was! "I don't care. I don't care at all." Harry glanced up at Lucius briefly and looked down again at his lines. "If I did, I wouldn't be here." 

"As long as you're certain," Lucius drawled, dipping his head down to kiss Harry's breath away. What the hell was Lucius doing? True, it was part of the script but he usually didn't do any of the romantic physical bits with him. He skipped over it or he leered at him, whatever, but he certainly didn't do what the script called for. He was doing it now though and good god he was a sinfully good kisser. 

This was the second drown-worthy kiss Harry had received in the last 24 hours. Quite nice roll of luck he was having at the moment, though he personally wondered why this sort of luck had eluded him the last the 27 years of his life. He could have done with more kisses like this earlier. It almost made him want to crawl into bed, then again—maybe not. Kisses had always been nice, and well—the fucking had left much to be desired. He guessed he couldn't blame his poor partner. It had been his first time too. Two virgins together was a definite no-no. 

"This is better than pornography," Draco exclaimed clapping so enthusiastically in the background that it snapped Harry out of the mind funk he'd been in. "Forget about downloading the stuff from Kazaa." 

If it weren't for Lucius's strong grip on his arm, Harry would have fallen off the couch. It didn't stop his face from having a full blown flushed look to it when he finally tried to glare menacingly at the younger Lucius. "You downloaded porn onto my Vaio?!"

Draco pouted. "You never said I couldn't." 

"I thought you'd have the sense not to!" Harry screamed, outwardly outraged and inwardly sniggering at Draco being such a typical teen boy as much as he would like to proclaim the contrary. "Draco Black Malfoy! If you don't have that horrid stuff off my computer in the next hour, I'm going to ground you in the hotel room!" 

He was properly horrified, and he scrambled far quicker to heed Harry's word than he ever did for any of Lucius's threats. Lucius frowned when he saw how quick his son acted when he was being reprimanded by Harry vs. himself. Harry merely smirked and disengaged himself from Lucius's grasp. "Serve the conceited fool. He's been getting too cocky of late." 

"He's always like that," Lucius muttered dismissively.

"Like father like son." 

Lucius scowled. "Despite what people think, we are not _that_ similar." 

"Oh, but you are _that_ similar." 

"Whatever." 

"That's why he won't listen to you." The hard lines on Lucius's face deepened, which made him look downright scary. No wonder, he was such a good villain figure. He could be rather frightening. Too bad, it was all a fanciful façade. "It's because you're too much alike." 

"There's got to be more of a reason than that," Lucius grumbled.

Harry beamed brightly. "Oh there is. Whenever you threaten him, he always comes to me and gets what he wants, the sly worm.:"

"WHAT?!" Lucius roared. 

Harry shrugged. "I'm not his mother, or for that matter… his father."

"But… you can't undermine me like that!" 

"You do such stupid things that sometimes I have to. Besides, if you do keep him locked up in a hotel room, you'll end up making me miserable because I'll be up there reading all the potential scripts that will be pouring in for you now that you're finally in production with another project." 

"Then why," Lucius began sarcastically, "were you willing to punish himself and make yourself miserable when he downloaded porn." 

"Because," Harry responded with the patience shown a dunderhead, "I'd be punishing him for something he'd done to me while if I let your punishment stand for something he'd done to you, it'd be misery for me without any gain. My threat against him this time will prevent anything like that from happening on my computer, but I can't say the same for yours." 

"Not that I use the infernal thing." 

"You should," Harry reprimanded him. "Considering how lazy you are, you could communicate with your fans over the internet." 

"Too easy for someone to pose as me," Lucius muttered. "Besides, I'd rather have you continue to handle any fan interactions and fan-mail. You're much more patient than I am and more apt not to have them end up hating me." 

"You can be charming when you want to be," Harry granted with slight amusement that Lucius was admitting that he might be a tad difficult to like in person than on the big screen. "All you have to do is try." 

"Why waste the effort?" he sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes and kicked Lucius in the shins hard enough to let him know that he really ought to be ashamed of himself. "If you didn't have the fan-base that you have, you wouldn't be as in demand of an actor as you are Lucius. You owe a lot to your fans." 

"I never would have gotten where I am," Lucius proclaimed grandly, waving his arms in exaggerated motions for even further emphasis, "if I didn't have the talent or the drive. You don't get to where I am and stay here unless you've got the ability." 

"But," Harry stressed heavily, "it doesn't hurt for you to be nice to your fans every once and a while, does it?" 

"That's what I pay you for!" This time Harry didn't aim for the flesh part of his shin but went for the bone. "Fuck it, Harry!" he yelped. "What the bloody hell was that for?" 

Harry gave him a measured look that said, _puh-leeze__ as if you don't know? _When he continued to blink innocently, he let out an exasperated sigh and retorted, "You are such a conceited arse! Would it kill you to be nice to your fans for one day?" 

Lucius shrugged carelessly. "I'd rather not think about them at all." 

"You should," Harry hissed. "If only to gloat about how many you have." 

"And wouldn't that be even worse?" Lucius countered.

"At least show them some appreciation!" 

"I sign the stupid glossies, don't I?" Lucius responded sharply. "I actually read some of it, the ones that aren't completely idiotic marriage proposals and such inanities of the sort. I mean, for god's sake, there are some nut jobs out there that probably give fans a bad name and I know that--- but I find it easier to ignore all of them rather than to try to weed through that mess." 

Harry nodded slowly and then shook his head vehemently. "You still ought to try. Ignoring them is an awful thing to do, especially when your fans send you such great compilations for you. I mean, think of the effort they put into making that birthday book for you. They really do adore you, Lucius." 

"And why should I care if they do or not?" Lucius replied carelessly. "It is not as if I care about them."

"How can you be so callous?" 

"I wouldn't call it callous." 

"What would you call it then?" Harry snapped. "What, Lucius?" 

"I wouldn't call it anything. If I had to put it somewhat into words, I suppose that as an actor having to be analyzed by your producer, your director, your agent, and your fellow actors--- it gets to such a point that I don't care what my fans think of me anymore. I don't care about what anyone thinks as long as I do a good enough job that I'm happy with myself." 

* * *

"HARRY RIDDLE!" Tom roared over the phone. "You left England without letting me bloody know where the hell you were going! As your father, I've been worried. Potter, the idiot, I can't find where he is." 

He was 27 year old; he didn't need to tell Tom where he was going. Tom wasn't even his _real_ feather. He was merely the originator of the sperm. As much as he would like to be his father, his father was James Potter and not Tom Riddle! Why didn't he get it? Tom might want to be a part of his life, and he understood that it was reasonable now that he was in his late 50s and he was his only child… but that still didn't give him the right to denounce the man he still called 'daddy.' 

"Harry?" 

"It's Potter," Harry snapped. "I haven't changed my name yet, and I don't intend to. I was born a Potter and I'll die a Potter, even if it makes your heart bleed, Tom. You might be my biological father, actually there is no doubt about that since I have a remarkable resemblance to you… but you are not the one I rely on as a parent figure. That's James's job, so will you just stop with this father act? It's tiresome and dreadfully uncharacteristic for you." 

"The problem is, I am a father," Tom growled. "_Your_ father." 

This was one of those moments when Harry wished he could send an image of careless shrugging through the phone line, but alas that was impossible. "Even if you're my father," Harry retorted, "I'm 27 years old, Tom. I'm an adult, a grown man. I do not have to tell you where I'm going and when I'm going either. And my _Dad_ is on vacation right now, and even if he weren't… he wouldn't be able to help you track me down much either. Because he _trusts_ me and doesn't have to know where I am every minute of the damn day." 

"It's not that I don't trust you!" Tom shouted. 

"Then what?!" Harry cried out. "What?!" 

Tom grumbled something.

"I didn't hear you." 

"I care about what happens to you," Tom muttered. "Is that so wrong? For a father to care what happens to his son? What kind of father is Potter if he isn't calling you up to check on you and whatnot?" 

Okay, that was rather sweet in a strange and sick way. Tom actually caring about something, someone--- him. It was almost scary. He was not a kind man. Tom was a dominating man with a strong will and a indomitable presence that forced everyone in the room to pay attention to him when he was in it. Too bad Harry had gotten rather use to his presence that it was almost ineffective, almost. 

"Harry…"

"I am sorry I didn't inform you of my whereabouts," Harry answered stiffly, "but I am a grown man." 

The sound coming from the other end of the line was such a gargle of noise that he wasn't sure if Tom was growling or groaning in exasperation. Harry could see him doing both. Harry sighed. He almost had to go, it was about time to go wake up Lucius and get him to the set. It wouldn't do for him to be late on the set, and if Harry didn't drag him out in about 5 minutes--- he'd be positively unbearable to the cast and crew at the production. 

"Do you have anything else to say to me?" Harry asked. He didn't want Tom to think he didn't want to talk to him, that Tom didn't mean something to him but he did have other matters that he had to deal with. And as much as Tom wanted to be his father, Harry couldn't see him as anything more than maybe an uncle figure. James Potter was his father, no one else. "If you do, make it quick. You know the time difference and all. It's about time for Lucius to get to the set." 

"I guess it would be a waste to tell you to drop Malfoy, come back to the UK and work for me, is it?" Tom responded dryly. 

"You wouldn't want me to work for you," Harry shot back, even though he was a little taken back by the offer as carelessly as it was made. The competition was fierce to be part of Tom's production company. There were few projects they handled that didn't come out profitable, and in the last score of years they had built a reputation of being a fine judge of films that attained critical acclaim along with mass appeal. "I'd be the ruin of you." 

"Or you'll be the success of me," Tom countered lightly. "You have done an amazing job in picking out good scripts for Malfoy. Without you, I doubt he'd be where he is today. He ought to get down on his hands and knees and worship the ground that you walk. You have a good eye for worthy scripts, and that's exactly what I'm looking for." 

"Why offer me this now?" 

"I've offered it many times in the past but you have never accepted." 

"You have never offered me a job!" Harry exclaimed. "All you have told me is that what I'm doing right now is unworthy of me. You never told me you were going to give me a job at your production company reading scripts! I always assumed you wanted me to find another job or better yet, get married to rich heiress seems so I can get my name splashed in the tabloids." 

Tom chuckled a bit harshly, not unusual for him. It was quite normal. It'd be weird if there was no edge to it, if it was mellifluous. "I assumed that if I didn't think that the job you have right now was worthy of you, that you could do so much better, that it would make all the sense in the world that you would come work for me. What father wouldn't want his son working with him?" 

The key word was with in the working with him. He didn't want him working _for_ him, which hinted at working under him but working with him as his equal. That was entirely different. Harry almost, well, who wouldn't be tempted? Most people would kill to be a part of it and here he had been turning down numerous offers in the past. How ironic. 

"I don't make assumptions," he answered stiffly.

"In this case you ought to." 

How was Harry suppose to know? For all he knew, Tom could have hated Lucius like his Dad did. It wasn't an unreasonable hatred, Lucius could be a downright arse at times. And somehow, he managed to rub his Dad the wrong way with anything that came out of his mouth when he saw him. Harry didn't know how he did it when he could be quite charming when he wanted to be. Would it be so bad for him to at least show his Dad the good qualities that he knew were buried deep within him? 

"So what do you say?" 

Harry didn't know and it was time. "I've got to go." 

"Then go," Tom murmured generously. It wasn't a tone Harry was familiar with, with him. He thought he ought to be concerned, but… then again he couldn't worry about that when he was faced with the awfulness that was Lucius arriving at a production set for the first time. Harry didn't know why he was so malicious, but he always was. It got progressively better as time went on, but damn was he a bastard initially. He guessed it made it easier on the other actors since Lucius was usually in a bastard's role. 

"Bye Tom."

"I'd like it if you called me father," he admonished.

"Good-bye." 

"Be safe, Harry." 

Bye… father?

* * *

"Oh my freaking god!" Draco exclaimed, throwing another script to the ground and looking like for all the world that he'd like nothing more than to stomp the piece of paper into a flatter oblivion. "How do you read shite like this?" 

Harry laughed and tossed another script down on top of the scripts that Draco had already started piling up on his first day on the job as one of his dad's official script readers. Actually, they were more like pruners. They had to discard the terrible stuff, then they had to look at the ones that weren't so bad and sift away at the ones that were generic reused and unoriginal plots that were doomed to be movies that people watched when they were bored to tears of frustration. 

"Harry," Draco moaned, "how do you stand to read this?"

"Because I must." 

He snorted and sneered, "You could always throw most of these in the garbage bin and you'd hardly have much of a loss. You don't really need to read all of these. Most of this is utterly worthless." 

"But not all of it is worthless," Harry retorted, "and that is why we must read." He shoved another pile of scripts into his empty hands. "Read Draco, read. Read until your eyes burn. You do want your father to do something that'll make you proud of him, don't you?" 

Draco shrugged. "Whatever."   
"Well, if you don't want to read the scripts… you could always sort through his fan-mail." 

His eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently. "No! No fucking way." 

"I thought so," Harry remarked dryly. "Read Draco, read until your eyes feel like they're going to fall out and then I might spare you the fan-mail." 

Draco groaned and picked up the next script. "How do you do this all day?" 

"I actually don't mind it," Harry responded easily, opening up another letter. "Some of the fans say such sweet things. I wish Lucius appreciated them more. He really ought to, you know, be thankful for them. They really do love him." 

"They are aggravating sods." 

"Some of them, I grant you that." 

"It's bloody annoying how they stalk him whenever we try to go anywhere together," Draco complained. "You know, I'd like for once to go somewhere with my Dad and not have to have some fan-crazy woman trying to crawl over him."

"You're just irritated because they're not crawling over you." 

He glared at Harry and threw the script at him. "And you don't mind it?" 

"I am used to it." 

"I've seen the look in your eyes," Draco murmured intently, intensely. "You're jealous of them, very jealous." 

Harry scoffed. "You are insane." 

"I only speak the truth." 

"A sort of truth that lies." 

Draco tried to look offended but failed miserably and Harry chuckled. "Do you want me to read one of these fan-mails out loud to hear what they sound like?" 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

"Why did I agree to do this film again?" Lucius growled as he slouched his way out, utterly exhausted by the effort today. He and the director had shared a few words when the director had been trying to teach him how to act. How ridiculous! He was the bloody actor, and he knew actually how he sodding well wanted to act. That moronic director ought to belt up! "Tell me again, Harry?"

"Because you loved the script and I loved the script." 

"It's actually halfway decent," Draco piped up. "I mean, you aren't saying, _'Oh I love you so much, darling, won't you come to bed with me?'_**" **he crooned in a sickening fashion that made both Harry and Lucius cringe. "Now that would be disgusting like some of these scripts that are sent into you are pure garbage." 

"Which is why Harry weeds out the truly terrible ones," Lucius retorted. "But still... it's aggravating how the damn director is telling me how to act. Me? He's a bloody director, not an actor! He directs the film effort, but he should let us actors do what we sodding do best---which is act! I think Fleur nearly wanted to strangle him." 

"That would have been interesting to see," Draco murmured. "I really don't see the sweet and beautiful Fleur Delacour being anything other than the typical damsel-in-distress." 

"Then you will be pleasantly surprised," Lucius informed his son. "She's got quite a bite to her innocent outer façade. Not that she, anywhere, rivals our Harry here." He glanced meaningfully where Harry was standing with his hands on his hips. "Harry is quite the independent bugger, isn't he?" 

"Quite," Draco agreed. "He's quite that." 

"What ever are we going to do with him?" 

Draco grinned, and Harry did not like the look of that grin in the slightest. "We will definitely need to remind him that he would not be the same without us." 

Oh god, they were conspiring together against him. One Malfoy, especially if it was the younger against him--- Harry might be able to forestall but both of them? Heaven help him, he just couldn't resist them both. Harry had a hard time resisting Lucius by himself, add Draco to the mix and it was impossible. Damn it. Damn them! He glowered as they both linked their arms to each side of him and started steering him out to the car. 

"Yes, indeed we should," Lucius agreed amicably, the glint in his eyes far from friendly. "It seems that Harry has forgotten our combined importance. Do you have any suggestions on how to, Draco?" 

"Oh do I," Draco drawled, his hip nudging Harry's with deliberate calculation in which to make him, decidedly uncomfortable being trapped being two radiantly sexual men and also forcing him closer next to Lucius. Impertinent twerp! "What better way to remind him of our infinite superiority to all other males than to suffocate him with our overpowering presence? That means we won't leave his side all night long…" 

"Sounds utterly dread…"

"Sounds utterly delightful," Lucius sharply cut in. "Do go on." 

* * *

They tried to get Harry drunk. That somewhat failed, somewhat succeeded. They did get him slightly tipsy. Oops. He wasn't suppose to drink this much this soon. His tolerance level wasn't that high and well… my… my… did Lucius look utterly delectable tonight. Hmmm, he could die happy here just watching him. If he weren't a bit intoxicated, he wouldn't be caught dead staring at him in such a blatant fashion but it seemed like such a good idea right now. What harm was it in admiring someone clearly that beautiful? 

In the background Harry heard his phone whining for him, but when he tried to stumble toward it, Lucius wrapped his arm around him and dragged him back to the couch where they were currently critiquing one of his earlier films. "The call," Harry gasped. 

"Ignore it," Lucius murmured, alcohol infiltrated from his throat breathing over Harry's neck. "It's your mobile anyway. That'll be work and it's a Saturday night, and it's a bloody crime should anyone want to discuss business on a Saturday night! Sacrilege!" 

Harry rolled his eyes, this was coming from the man that believed that working everyday was hardly a crime and insisted if actors really loved their jobs--- they wouldn't be above working everyday of every week. "Aren't you the one that says if you love what you do, you should be willing to do it every goddamn day?" 

One of his elegantly long fingers jabbed at Harry's nose as he retorted, "There should always be one day where you do silly, stupid things." 

"Like today?" Harry murmured with amusement, thinking that their attempts to get him drunk hadn't been quite fruitless since they'd gotten themselves drunk. Then again they had swallowed two or was it three shots to his every one? Whatever, their high tolerance for alcohol was gruesomely inspiring as well as horribly disturbing. Imagine what it put their liver through, egad. 

"Not silly… stupid things," Draco slurred, his hand waving his shot of vodka in the air like a mad man, "but fun and childish things. Right, Dad?"

"Right!" 

Harry would have laughed at both of them, but Lucius was unbearably close---pressed up against his side in such a delightful manner that he was far too tense to even think about giggling at them. Ugh, what was Lucius doing draping himself like this on him? Didn't he realize that it made him uncomfortable? Probably. That was probably the reason why he was doing it. Grrr, what a frustrating specimen of maleness. 

Lucius turned his face toward him and he caught his breath, even intoxicated he was drop dead gorgeous. "So Harry," he murmured, "do you really like this Snape bloke?" 

"Why do you want to know?" Harry whispered back, trying to move his body away from his discretely. He didn't have much success when Lucius wrapped his arms around his waist, effectively stopping his retreat. 

"Because I do." 

"I like him."

Lucius jabbed Harry's stomach pointedly. "That is a rather vague answer." 

"I like him enough that I'm willing to date him," Harry modified.

"That still tells me next to nothing," Lucius remarked. "I mean, you've gone on dates before with people that you like that you've been miserable with. But I gather from the first date, and that kiss at the airport that you like him a good deal more than the others you've so-called 'dated.'" 

"If you can derive that, then why ask me this question?" Harry retorted.

"Because I don't like to make assumptions."

"It doesn't stop you from taking a gander." 

Lucius narrowed his eyes into a deadly glower that trademarked all his villain roles. It was a good glare for him, Harry reflected, but it was too bad it had little to no effect on him. "I don't have to make a guess, it's bloody obvious." 

"You sound jealous." 

Lucius looked taken back for a moment before the intensity reappeared on his features. It was the second time in the last 48 or so hours that he'd been accused of being envious of Severus Snape. It annoyed him, and yet was there possible truth in it? He didn't want to answer that so he just continued to frown at Harry in a manner that said, _so what if I am… since you'll have a bloody hard time of getting me to admit that I am. _

"You act like you are, anyway," Harry mused. "But what could you be jealous of? I mean, you are Lucius Malfoy." 

"Yes," he sneered. "I _am_ Lucius Malfoy." 

Harry chuckled at his pure conceit. "Then again, Severus is _Severus__ Snape_, and his house of fashion will likely outlast any of your movies." 

Lucius scowled, he didn't need to be reminded that despite his Blockbuster success, he had still yet to make a film that would become a classic. The sad thing is, he didn't think any even came halfway close. Oh sure, people would watch his old films but they wouldn't be like 'this is a work of art.' His efforts on the big screen was in direct contrast to his stage work, where he'd received numerous accolades for his acting in prestigious theatre productions. 

There were times when he was tempted to return to the stage, but the theatre was so hard on him and it took so much out of him that he was content to continue the more less intense joys of his working profession. Besides, there was yet a stage production to come that could rival what he'd last done in _Les Miserables_. Until a theatre drama was on par with that, he wouldn't dare sign onto anything. He wanted to do something that would be better, more challenging than anything that was less. Call it immeasurable standards. 

"That is miserable truth," Lucius said dejectedly. "Even the decent scripts I get can't compare to the work I've done on stage, not even a halfway comparison. But isn't it every actors dream to make it in Hollywood? And I have? But my parts… character parts are atrocious." 

"But you know, you are getting some really good scripts now once we've weeded out the less than desirable ones," Harry remarked, not liking the shadows that had descended upon Lucius's expression. "There should be something that'd be a new mark on your impressive repertoire. Also, it's a huge accomplishment for you to translate your British success into Hollywood success. You've done a lot for the British film industry." 

"Do you think," Lucius began asking seriously, "that all the work I've done in the last 5 years has been absolute shite?" 

Harry shook his head. "You've made entertaining and enjoyable movies. And there's something different about theatre productions and film projects. They can't be compared. There's more of the character that's driven in theatre because there's less emphasis on the special effects in the background. With film, everything so digitalized and technology driven that there's less of a focus on strong character roles like the stage. You've done well to exude your acting ability into your characters in your movies, far better than a lot of actors. And you know… you are considered one of the best Hollywood actors." 

"That means nothing," Lucius snapped. "Hollywood is a joke." 

Harry smiled complacently. "Then it's made you a rich joke." 

"Don't joke," Lucius growled. 

"Is it so terrible?" Harry questioned. "Is it so bad that now that you've made monetary success with your films that good scripts are seeking you out for your acting ability? You had to get out there and show what you could do before the better scripts came your way, Lucius, that's the way of things… working your way up. You had to do it for the stage and you have to do it for film… and you have and now it's going to pay off." 

"Do you think so?" 

Harry nodded. "Yes." 

"You know… I don't know what…"

"Oh my god," Draco moaned from across the room, "I'm going to be sick." And he was, fortunately, Harry reasoned it was because of the amount of alcohol he'd consumed and not where the conversation had been going. Whatever the case, it was a good thing he'd emptied the contents of his stomach into a trashcan instead of on the carpeted floor. That would have been an ugly mess. 

It certainly gave him a distraction, Harry didn't know if he was grateful or not for it. 

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter, I fear, is not as stunning as the rest but I promise you the next chapter will be good because Severus comes back (cheers!) and there will be more crazy jealous Lucius and more insanely insightful Draco. I must say, I do love the way I do Draco in here. Don't you think we ought to have a sidestory about Draco? I dunno, a romance or something. Any thoughts on who? Can be slash or het, I'll do either. Oh, and how were the character interactions in this? I thought Draco was unbearably cute and Lucius has turned on the charm (that kiss at the beginning was mega- hot though I have doubts on the comparison to Severus's horny number) and Harry is delightful sarcastic King as always. 

Thanks to (all my loyal reviewers, couldn't do this without you): **Mousey** (feisty is an excellent description of Harry), **The**** angelic vampire** (ty, keep up w/ your fic too), katkitten, Quill, crissy, Azer, Merit Somnia, **tenchi** (sorry, I was lazy in the last chapter and didn't proofread it… I thought my beta would catch it, but she didn't), Grey Malwell, Quill, Lindiel Eryn, Quila, **Artymuse** (haha convos like these aren't very practical but clever**), Eaiva le Fay** (Sev knows Harry likes Lucius and is willing to do what he needs to do to um… get Harry), Gia, **jenny** (look at chapter 2), Vree, C.M. Aeris Queen of Insanity, **Redrum** (it's hard to admit something so annoying comes from yourself), **Moonlady** (Father/son relationship between Harry/Lucius?  There's one for Harry/Tom Riddle but not for Lucius.  And Tom didn't adopt Harry, Tom is Harry's biological father.  I'd reread Chapter 1 and 2), SailorBaby16, me, **Eriadne** (you've got Draco down exactly how I wanted to do him, thanks for telling me that I am!), Winnie2, Silverfated, Anonymous, **Kemis** (hope you like your present and hope your b-day went well.), RainSW6, **Kateri1** (haha Sev and Harry will get a chance), **Bonebiddy** (ugh… dating is extremely awkward, I've only done it a few times ugh ugh!), **Nemati** (yes Draco's done too well, I think), **Lakoma** (Severus is the definition of ascerbic), **Illucia** (my muse is diligent yet finicky), **chekiita** (it's not a threesome, Harry will end up with Lucius or Severus), **Kathy stqgvk** (Lucius's jealousy will come into play later), **SeparatriX** (well you do take things for granted that have always been there and he's never had to compete for Harry before), **ntamara** (haha, thanks for rec'cing me), IncubusSuccubus, **Quot**** the Raven** (oh yes, first dates are horrible.  Draco's priceless in this one, he's done so well that awwwwwwwwwww!  Severus is even done better imo and Lucius ;p gotta love those Malfoys), **Shuki**** – aka Quickjewel** (your morning ims are a nice wakeup), **TigerBlak** (haha yes I like the Malfoy-Malfoy overload too).  

You may contact me (to chat, to ask questions, etc.) here… AIM (sevviepooh) or MSN (wan_mei_zhu_yi @ hotmail.com). 

* * *

**Chapter 5** will be out at the end of April (it takes me a good 3 weeks or more to write one of these chapters and I won't start this one until I've completed a POB and a Fallen chapter… and in that order. I'm cycling through my fics now). 


	5. That Severus Thing

**LOVE ATROCIOUS **  
By Yih

Beta'd and translat'd by _Blackumbrage_.  My eternal thanks. 

This is Correction #2.

  
  
_Unexpectedly_  
  
I never expected you  
To come into my life  
And be there for me  
I don't understand  
Why are you here?  
  
I feel as if I'm always the one  
That's doing the chasing  
But now it's different  
You're the one after me  
I don't know how to react  
  
Do I succumb?  
I don't love you… yet  
I don't know if I can  
I've loved him for so long  
I don't know if I can love another  
  
You are nothing like a dream  
But you draw me completely  
I can't resist you  
You are irresistible  
And I'm falling, unexpectedly  
  
  
  
Chapter 5  
_That Severus Thing_

"Are you so inept that you cannot return a phone call?"   
  
And here Harry almost thought he missed Severus's sarcasm, well, maybe he did a bit. It was rather different how Severus spoke so condescendingly and yet still managed not to be an utter brute about it. Take what he just said for example. Even though it was a rude statement indicating his incompetence, it hinted that he cared about him since he'd gotten annoyed that he hadn't returned his phone call. Overall, a very positive sign from one such as him.   
  
Harry was that sort of male, typical things couldn't be expected from him much like conventional circumstances wouldn't appeal to him. How did one of his ex-boyfriends put it? Convention bored the stuffing out of him. Might explain why he liked hopping around production set to production set with Lucius. Change in atmosphere and environment did a world of good in keeping interesting… interesting.   
  
"Harry," Severus growled, "you haven't returned my last three phone calls, why?"  
  
"I've been occupied," Harry answered simply. "You're not the only one."   
  
Severus grumbled like he didn't want to agree but had to agree. Harry almost felt like laughing sinisterly, but that would be very childish of him. "Yes, well," he remarked dryly, "it would have been nice to have someone pick me up at the airport when I arrive. But I understand if you are too busy, I will just make other arrangements then."  
  
"WHAT?!" Harry cried out. "You're coming here, already?"   
  
"My presence has been demanded," Severus muttered. "It wasn't a planned fashion show, I'll have you know. I will only be there for the weekend, but since it will be a very busy weekend at that… I did not know when I would be able to find time to see you and I thought that it would be best to see you when I arrived since I could be certain of that."   
  
It was incredibly sweet of him to make time to see him. Harry nibbled on his bottom lip as he fought the blush he felt flaming his cheeks down to his neck. It wasn't like he could see him and thank god he couldn't. It was embarrassing enough having to deal with the interesting looks Draco was sending his way. Geez, Draco was sooo annoying in the morning. "When are you arriving?"   
  
"In an hour," Severus answered.   
  
"That soon?!"  
  
"I did call last night when I realized my assistant had already booked my flight and told me about my presence being required in   
L.A.," he retorted, "but you and your tardy phone answering qualities are to blame."   
  
"I do apologize," Harry snapped.   
  
Severus chuckled. "Testy, aren't we?"   
  
"And you aren't?" Harry retorted.  
  
Severus sniffed with an air that said he wasn't about to admit it if he was. "Do you have a pen in hand?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Severus rolled his eyes. "So you can take down my arrival time, terminal, and gate number, you twit."   
  
"Don't call me a twit!" Harry exclaimed.   
  
"Twit," Severus growled out purposely, "I'm arriving at 4:35 pm at Terminal B, Gate 11. I'll see you then."   
  
The phone clicked off without so much as a by-your-leave. God! Men! Why did he put up with them? Harry wrinkled his nose with irritation as he scribbled down what he had told him. He glanced down at his watch and that set him into roadrunner motions. He had less than an hour to get to the airport and find his terminal and his gate. And boy was he bad with directions…  
  
But…Draco wasn't. Harry grinned evilly as he grabbed Draco by the arm where was he lounging like a lazy fool. "Guess what Draco?!"   
  
"You want to use me," Draco muttered spot on. "You want to goddamn use me like a tool."   
  
Harry frowned, thinking. "Well, yes."   
  
Draco groaned. "And so bloody honest about it too."   
  
"Would you prefer me to be dishonest?"   
  
"Let's just get going," Draco muttered. "The sooner we go pick up your boytoy , the sooner I can get back to my lounging   
activities."   
  
Harry narrowed his eyes at him. "How did you know I was picking up Severus?"   
  
"In case you didn't know," Draco drawled, his arm wrapping around Harry's waist, "Snape's voice carries rather well, despite it   
being on the phone and it's so obvious when you get flustered like that that you're talking to him. You are more feisty when you're talking to Lucius, even if you are about the same shade of crimson."   
  
Draco was impossible.   
  
"I hate you."   
  
"I know, baby, I know."

"You really like him, don't you? You ought to tell him," Draco nagged. "You know you driving to pick Snape up is going to drive him up against the bloody wall with irritation. You know that he doesn't like that fashion prat."

Harry nibbled on his bottom lip, staring ahead as he mentally cursed the stupid L.A. traffic. Of course, there _had_ to be an accident that would delay him from picking up Severus on time, didn't there? Great, another thing for him to gripe about him… not only did he have horrendous phone answering skills but apparently he didn't know how to get somewhere on time either. Grrr… when had he started getting _his_ mental voice in his head? Egads!

He prodded him with his finger. "You ought to admit it, Harry. I can see it in your eyes. Your eyes are glowing, and your hands are gripping the wheel too tightly like you don't know what to do so you're holding on as tightly as you can."

He cursed. How could Draco read him so well when his father was utterly clueless? "You read me too well," he remarked in ruefully. "Are my feelings that transparent? Am I that obvious?"

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "No, you aren't that transparent. If you were, my dad would realize that you've had an insurmountable crush on him for the last 5 years and get over his silly bout of jealousy."

"He's jealous?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"I guess," he reflected, "he's used to being the center of my whole world."

"It's more than that," Draco insisted. "If he was just jealous of the lack of attention, he would just yell at you." Harry gave Draco a sharp look because that was exactly what Lucius had done, yelled at him for coming to _his _flat late, acting like his freaking father. "Well, okay, so he did yell at you, but he could just insist you spend more of your focus on him since he is paying for your time."

"He can't pay me for how much time I spend on him," he muttered. "I spend more than it's worth. God knows why."

"I know why," Draco retorted with an impish grin. "You love my dad."

"God knows why," he lamented again.

"Because he's a sexy demon," he murmured throatily.

Harry groaned. "You little beast."

"You adore me," Draco drawled. "You know you do."

He slammed on the breaks a tad harder than he meant to. "I adore you as much as I adore gum that I step on. It sticks annoyingly around and irritates you when you least suspect it. And when you try to get rid of it, it gets all over you in such a disgusting fashion."

"Ouch," Draco murmured, "don't you think you're being rather harsh?"

"Nope."

Draco narrowed his eyes, but as much as his fingers itched to give him back some physical retaliation… he knew better than to mess with him when he was driving 90 down the highway to get to the international airport. He sighed and drummed his fingers against the armrest. "You are so…"

"Wickedly clever."

"If you are, then I'm mentally retarded," Draco muttered.

Harry scowled. "Bah, I hate you."

"I know you do, darling, I know you do."

Herolled his eyes. Not much he could do when Draco was being so _Malfoy__. _It was too bad there was something utterly charming about the Malfoy men. What was it about them that got his blood to boil? Well, it wasn't Draco as much as Lucius, but he could still see Draco's future potential charm. Too bad, he was far too young for him. He smirked. There was nothing like the allure of the _older man. _

He coughed loudly and forced him to look at him at the next stop. "The big question," he inquired softly, "is do you like Severus Snape?"

"I like him," he whispered.

"How much?"

"I don't know. I don't know."

They arrived at the airport at B-11 quite late. There was only one man left in the waiting area, scowling severely, pacing back and forth like a caged beast. Harry cringed; he felt like a petulant child coming forth to be reprimanded. he wasn't though. It wasn't his fault that there had been a major accident on the highway and that had delayed him more than an hour. Bracing himself, he called out, "Severus?"

He whirled around so swiftly and stalked to him so quickly that he backed himself up against a pole. Damn, but the man was menacing with _that kind_ of expression on his face. He radiated sheer masculinity. It was a rather heady stuff and sexy too. Harry gulped as he lowered his head and gave him another kiss to remember. All the panic inside faded and was replaced by passion. God, the man could kiss.

"You," he growled as he ended the kiss, "had me worried!"

Whatever he had been expecting for him to be, it certainly wasn't worried. He had planned to give a grumbling apology for being late when he sniped at his incompetence, but he really did feel bad now. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "There was a bad accident, and it caused a major delay."

Severus glared at him, but his volatile expression dropped away. When his features softened, Harry held his breath. In his own way, severe and sharp as it was, he was a very beautiful man. True, his nose was larger than would be classically liked, and his eyes were far too dark… but it gave him a brooding sensuality capitulated best in his thin lips that seared kisses onto his.

"You should have called me."

Damn, Harry'd totally forgotten about that. "Sorry. I didn't think."

"You are hopeless," he muttered. "Utterly hopeless."

He smiled sheepishly. What else could Harry do when he was being so sweetly concerned? Dear heavens, it was moments like these Harry wondered why he was still heads over heels in love with Lucius Malfoy when there were men like this out in the world for him to worship. But, Harry had to give Lucius his due, he could turn the charm on oh too well when he wanted. Likewise, Severus could be a darling when he wanted to be.

"But Harry's adorable when he's hopeless, is he not?" Draco phrased perfectly. What was with Malfoy men and the way they said everything with pure perfection? It was in their crisp accents and in the expression on their chiseled faces. Actually it was more than that, and Harry just couldn't pinpoint it. "After all, if he were anything but himself, Harry would not be half as charming. All the better to save him from his hopeless self, am I not right?"

Oh god Draco was embarrassing him. Harry's face burned crimson. Grrr! That stupid, stupid little nincompoop! Why he ought to strangle him. Yes, what a novel idea. Harry could imagine his fingers curled around his pale neck squeezing the life from him. Hmm… that vision was exactly reminiscent of a fantasy he got when Lucius annoyed the hell out of him. What was with these Malfoy men and getting underneath his skin like that? Ugh and knowing them, they'd say it was _all Harry's ruddy fault._

Silky fingers caressed Harry's cheek and whatever thought of suffocating Draco he had had rolled off him like rain running down the walls. "I think," Severus drawled in that sexy voice of his that was nothing like Lucius' uppity London jet-set tone yet had the same ability to turn his knees into jelly, "that you are quite right." His dark eyes bore into Draco's. "Who might you be?"

Draco bowed with ostentatious exaggeration. "I am Draco Lucien Malfoy, at your service."

"Downright snobby, if you don't mind me adding," Harry inserted with saccharine sweetness, which wrung a questioning look from Severus and an amused chuckle from the aim of his insult. "He has no sense of modesty."

"Modesty can be overrated," Severus remarked.

Harry's eyes widened as Draco smirked with that expression that said _I like this one. _"It can be very overrated, don't you agree, Harry?"

He rolled hiseyes. "I think in your case, it can never be overrated."

Draco clasped his heart in such an over-the-top performance that it was comedic to think of what Lucius would say to such horrible over expression. "That hurt, Harry that really did hurt. Would it kill you to be kind?"

"It very much would," he retorted.

"As much as I would like to see you exchange witty comments back and forth," Severus interrupted with bland bemusement, "I must protest that my luggage is rather heavy and I would like the opportunity to stretch my legs after a hazardously long flight which has made my temper much more willing to explode."

Testy now, wasn't he? That reminded Harry more of the Severus that he knew and had agreed to go out with. Harry smiled and held out his hand. He stared at Harry's hand dumbly for a second before shifting both his bags to one hand so that he could reach out to take it. He sighed. Harry guessed he had to spell it out for him. "Your bag," he muttered. "Give me one of your bags."

He looked downright offended. "Sir," he sneered, "I am not a ponce."

"I am trying to help you."

With Severus glowering at him, Draco siddled up next to him and whispered, "You can't insult a guy more than to say that he needs help carrying his bags, my innocent little Harry. Him complaining about the weight of his luggage is a snazzy indication that he wants to get to the hotel so he can bloody shag you through the roof."

Harry's cheeks were a flaming red and he was certain that Severus had heard every utterance that came out of Draco's filthy mouth. Shagging indeed! He and Severus had only dated two or three times, so what if he had sought him out when he came to L.A.? It wasn't that serious, it simply wasn't! Harry frowned and jabbed Draco violently in the side. "Shut up," he hissed. "He can hear you!"

"That'll be good," Draco muttered. "You need a good shag. You're always so bloody tense. Maybe if you got laid you'd relax and be more fun to be around. All this sexual tension is getting me antsy."

"Then you go bloody get laid!" he exclaimed, his cheeks turning even redder when he realized that the entire terminal was staring at him. What was worse was the laughing gleam in Severus' eyes. God, what a fool he was. What an idiot.

Draco smirked and lowered his lips until it almost touched Harry's. "I knew I could bring the British out of you."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"You are so annoying."

"And you look so adorable," he retorted.

Harry scowled and then blushed when he heard Severus saying, "Children, _let's go_."

Severus knew how to kiss. Harry sighed as he sagged against Severus in utter abandonment to the skillfulness that no tongue had the right to be. What was it about this man and his kisses that made Harry's knees boneless? If he didn't like the feeling so much, he'd feel like a hagfish. But the feeling was delightful, even if it made him feel like a lovesick high school boy again that had no experience whatsoever. Harry did though! He did! Even if it wasn't… all that much… nor all that great. And it wasn't like he was a girl.

"I'll call you," Severus whispered into Harry's ear softly, sensually.

"You have my number?" Oh god, he did not just say the obvious. Of course Severus had his number. Damn it, he was such a ditz after he'd just gotten the life kissed out of him. Breathe, Harry reminded herself. Breathe.

He smirked and tweaked Harry's nose. "I would normally be appalled at your utter show of stupidity, but I'll forgive you knowing how your mind is in a messy puddle after that extraordinary snog session."

"Can you ever say something that isn't an insult?" Harry griped even if everything that he said was startlingly true.

"Why lie?" Severus retorted. He bent his head down once more to peck Harry's lips quickly. "The truth is much more satisfying for me, and I don't think you're the type of man that winces when he gets told the truth, are you?

"No."

"Then, why should I lie?"

"To be nice?" Harry murmured.

"I am not a nice man."

"No, you are not," he agreed, still leaning against Severus feeling a bit of weak

"If I was nice, I'd be rather dull."

"Nice men are not dull," Harry protested.

"And yet… where is your nice man?" Severus inquired snidely.

Harry frowned. "I'll find one… eventually."

"And marry him and have a passel of children with him, no doubt."

Harry shrugged carelessly. "I don't know about a passel of children," he murmured. "One or two, two would definitely be nice."

"Two brats."

"I don't know about brats," Harry remarked. "But I definitely want one to be like my husband."

"How terribly predictable."

"Wouldn't you want a daughter that reminds you of your wife?" Harry queried.

"And why the heavens would I ever get married?" Severus muttered. "I am _definitely_ not the marrying type."

Harry cocked his head to the side, studying him carefully. "I don't know about that. You would make a good husband for a man when you're ready. I don't think anyone could make you ready until you decide you're ready though. But I think it would be a pity if you were never a husband. You are strong and caring, good qualities in a husband."

Severus' lips sneered at the compliments, but his eyes weren't quite as sarcastic. "You ought to go," he whispered. "Your young bloke is waiting downstairs for you."

"Not mine. More like the menace of my existence."

"Regardless, we've kept him waiting long enough. You wouldn't want to stir up his imagination any more than what is necessary? I remember myself when I was that age and I could think of quite creative things for what two men who fancied each other could do alone if given 5 minutes."

Harry couldn't help but blush a lovely shade of crimson while Severus smirked. "You're terrible."

"I'm so terrible that you're going to have lunch with me tomorrow."

"I am, am I?"

He nodded with a horribly smug expression. "You definitely are."

"I suppose," Harry sighed, "that I am."

He knew it was coming. Draco had held his tongue far too long that he was surprised that he was able to hold it until Severus was safely out of ear shot. They were in the elevator, riding down to the lobby of Severus' posh hotel when Draco burst out, "What the bloody hell are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Harry inquired innocently enough.

"You like both of them! My dad! And, and him!" he exclaimed. "And from what I can tell, you like Severus quite a bit more than just say platonic like liking."

That was something Harry really didn't want to think about. Yes, he liked Severus quite a bit. Harry even had the sinking suspicion that he could fall for him if he was given the right amount of time, and if he spent enough time away from Lucius' intoxicating presence. It wasn't like Harry had expected Severus to pop into his life at the moment when he had already given up on Lucius ever realizing his feelings for him. It shifted Harry from being the hopelessly obsessed to the one that was getting chased by a magnetically sexy man. What a change!

"You don't only like my dad," he remarked calculatingly, "but you _love_ him."

Draco was far too insightful for his own good. "You've already mentioned that earlier today," Harry pointed out. "Redundant, much?"

"I'll say it however many times it takes for you to confess to my dad your feelings for him. I mean, you're being such a stubborn mule about it. If you told him, you would get him to face what he's feeling right now, which is adamant jealousy."

"I can't do that," he muttered.

He let out a frustrated sigh. "You aren't going to be the typical poof, are you?"

Harry looked offended. Since when was he the typical poof? Ever? "Me? Typical?" He narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"Why, waiting for the guy to make the first move, of course," he murmured.

"Is it such a bad thing to play hard to get?" he retorted.

Draco shrugged. "Not necessarily, but that's not you."

"And you know me so very well," Harry muttered sarcastically, feeling foolish as the words came out of his mouth since the fact was that Draco did know him all too well. It was uncomfortable how well he did know him. Unnerving and quite unsettling at times, but oh well--- it wasn't like Harry could do anything about it. That was just the way things were. They had spent far too much time together in the past 5 years with Harry as Lucius' assistant and everything. He'd basically become his surrogate big brother and keeper all at once.

He smirked. "I know you as well as a boy can know a boy that he isn't shagging, and even then… I'd say I know you better than most boys that shag boys."

"And knowing me as well as you do says that I'll make the first move because I'm so not the typical poof, am I right?"

"Well," he remarked, "that's not necessarily the case, but you are the type that goes after what you want. You don't always, case in point, _my dad_. But you ought to."

Harry blushed. "Point taken."

"And," he pushed on, "you should do it soon before he really starts unleashing his ferocious jealousy. You don't know Malfoy men as well as you think, we may be playboys to the inner core, but when another man comes sniffing his big nose after our men… well we don't play nice and we get fiercely jealous."

Harry laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen you jealous."

"But I am mighty possessive, wouldn't you say?"  
"Yes," he confirmed, "another one of your tragic flaws to go along with conceited and bossy and…"

"We aren't discussing your criticism of me," Draco interrupted forcefully, not willing to let Harry take command of the conversation as he very well had the ability to, "we're talking, instead, about you finally confessing to my dad about what you feel for him. It's about goddamn time you did. You've been what, crazy about him for the past 5 years? It's insane you haven't told him sooner!"

"He was married!" he exclaimed. "To YOUR mother!"

"And it was an arranged thing for publicity," Draco retorted. "So what?"

"He was still married!"

"_And_," Draco deliberately overemphasized, "he had quite a number of discreet affairs that you knew very well about. It had to hurt you. It had to make you envious."   
"Why should it?" he muttered. "They were all ditzy blonds."

He snorted in a way that said _yeah right, I totally don't believe ya _way. "You cared. I could see the envy in your eyes."

"I wasn't jealous!" Harry protested, though it sounded quite weak even to his own ears.

"You were," he responded, "and now my dad is in your position. And now is the perfect opportunity to confess your feelings for him."

"I don't know about that," he replied, feeling his resolve weakening.

"I could understand your hesitation," Draco began, "if you really did like that Severus guy."

"I do like him," Harry admitted.

"But," he inserted vehemently, "you don't like him anywhere near as much as you like my dad."

"I've known your father longer."

"You started lusting after him minutes after you saw him, and you got the job as his assistant even though he's an unbearable ass because you wanted him. Falling in love with him was the secondary bombshell that happened a few weeks later."

"And I really like Severus a lot for only knowing him a few weeks," Harry remarked less confident in everything. He did like Severus, and he hadn't tried to like him either. He just… did. It was an unexpected thing. It wasn't like Severus was safe to like either. He exuded danger like Lucius did, though it was not quite as bad of a danger since Severus _was _after her and not vice versa. It didn't hurt knowing that Severus liked Harrymore than Harry liked him. It made him feel safer somehow… though it made him anxious, knowing Harry could _hurt_ him.

"Yeah, you do," Draco remarked. "But… you are _in love_ with my dad."

"How do you feel about that?" Harry posed the question he had been wondering for a while. Truly, what would Draco think? They acted like brothers, best friends when they weren't into the whole _make your sibling's life a living hell_ mood. It would be a big change in things, Harry thought, if he started dating Lucius. True, Harry also sort of acted like his mother on occasion. He did succeed in bossing Draco around in a way that neither Lucius nor Narcissa did. "I mean me and Lucius, if it were to ever happen?"

"I wouldn't mind it," he phrased his words carefully. "I don't know how I would really feel about it until it happens, but something inside of me says that it would be a _lovely thing. _But it would piss me off, if my dad did anything to hurt you. Likewise, if you did anything to intentionally hurt him. Though I think," Draco smiled wryly, "that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt him. The fact is… I think he'd be more likely to hurt you and that worries me."

"And yet, here you are pushing," Harry muttered.

"Because you're being such a stubborn beast with the not telling when you ought to when he so clearly does feel something for you!"

"That was quite the outburst."

"You ought to listen to me and my outbursts."

"I don't know."

"He likes you. He's jealous."

"Because he doesn't get my full attention," Harry stated with a tinge of bitterness, "not because he really feels something for me."

"I don't think that's it at all, if you want my opinion," he stated softly. "You do care what I think, don't you?"

Harry's expression softened. "Of course, I do."

"Good, then you ought to listen to me."

"Cheeky brat."

"And I'm right too, doesn't that irk you?"

"You are bloody late," Severus cursed into his mobile as he waited downstairs for Harry. "What do you not understand about being downstairs at noon?"

"Well," Harry muttered back, "how was I supposed to know that you meant exactly noon on your time? I mean, your watch has to be fast or something because I swear that mine only says 11:59."

"Which means you should already be down here. It's terribly impolite to keep someone waiting."

Harry scowled. What an impossible man! Why exactly was he going out with him again? Oh yes, he could be quite the romantic when he felt like being. And he could kiss rather well. Rather well was an understatement, Harry thought with pink cheeks as he remembered how close he had come to being a puddle of goo at his feet at his last kiss. Good lord, who had taught him to kiss like that?

"I _do_ apologize," Harry snapped.

"Apologies mean nothing," he retorted. "Get your ass down here."

What a bossy man! Why Harry ought to… his jaw dropped open when he saw him standing there as the elevator doors opened with a bouquet of his favorite flowers, lilies-of-the-valley. How had he known? "You are amazing," Harry exclaimed. Harry broke out into a beautiful smile as he took the bouquet from him and sniffed the sweet scent. "How did you know that these were my favorite?"

He shrugged carelessly. "It wasn't much at all."

"How?" Harry demanded.

"You," he murmured, "always smell like lilies."

Harry leaned up and kissed him softly on the corner of his lips. "Thank you."

Severus grinned down at him in a way that took away all the grim lines that undoubtedly came from his harsh mannerisms. "You're welcome."

"I forgive you," Harry whispered, "for being such a caustic monster of a man."

"And I forgive you for being such a fastidiously untimely man."

Harry jabbed him playfully in the side. "Where are you taking me out to lunch?"

"No where romantic, that is to be sure," Severus muttered. "I've already gone over the quota today."

Harry raised an eyebrow up. "There's a quota?"

"Most definitely," Severus responded. "If there wasn't, I'd turn into a despicable sap ball."

"What a pity," Harry sighed, "that would be most delightful."

Severus gave him a thoroughly disgusted look. "You have downright disturbing tastes."

"I do," Harry admitted. "I am going out with you, aren't I?"

He burst out laughing. "You are absolutely perfect the way that you are."

Bowing extravagantly, Harry took the arm that Severus offered him. "Why thank you very much."

He tucked Harry close to his side and pressed a kiss to his temple. "You deserve it, you bloody minx."

Harry glanced up at him and smirked. "So what kind of taste do you have?"

"I am going out with you, aren't I?" Harry nodded. "I must have atrocious taste. Atrociously perfect taste."

"You are a sap ball," Harry declared airily.

"God," Severus groaned, "I hope not."

"No," he said after considering the matter heavily, "I suppose you aren't. You are too downright nasty to be a sap ball."

"Thank god for that."

Harry smacked him lightly on the hand. "You aren't supposed to be thankful."

"Oh, but I am."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Nastily obsessed."

"I do believe that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"You're going to lose him if you don't do something," Draco prodded with his way with words that he knew would work in getting his dad to do something about the situation because if Lucius didn't do something soon, he was very much in danger of losing to Severus Snape. Despite the fact that Harry might not like Severus anywhere near as much as Lucius, Severus was worming his way into Harry's heart.

Lucius had been pacing up and down the hallway for the last hour waiting for Harry from his _lunch date. _Draco rather thought that his father had his work cut out for him. Severus wasn't doing anything wrong. Actually, Severus was doing every thing right. It was amazing how the sarcastic and bitter man cut a deadly romantic seducer when he put his mind to it. Draco would never have guessed that his father would have serious competition from the snarky fashion designer.

"And you need to do something soon if you want him."

"He's young enough to be my son!" Lucius exclaimed.

"Well, if you wanted to have him when you were in your teens, sure," Draco muttered, "but while the age gap is notable… it certainly isn't as bad as you're making it out to be. And really, Harry's mental age is far more developed than yours is in most cases. Arguing age or maturity isn't going to cut it."

Lucius grumbled while his son continued to stare at him with a most patronizing expression. "Shouldn't you be discouraging me? He's young enough to be a brother."

"Well," Draco remarked, "I don't fancy the idea of having to call him dad, but there are worse blokes you could hook up with. It isn't like you haven't had bimbos with the only thing of recommendation to them being their tits that were younger than him. You're just concerned because it could be a very serious thing, and by serious--- serious enough that you're already thinking about a ring."

He tried to scowl menacingly at his son but he failed miserably as Draco continued to smile like he was as innocent as an angel. To even think of his son as being naïve like that was a laugh. Malfoy men were born being natural sinners. They didn't have one decent bone in their bodies and to think of Draco ever being angelic was enough to make him laugh to tears. "I am not thinking about a ring," he denied heavily. "I am not!"

"You are," Draco cooed. "You definitely are."

"You are annoying."

"Because I am so right."

"Or very delusional."

"I am right," he murmured confidently. "I am _always_ right."

Lucius snorted. "You are a conceited prick."

"Like father like son."

"I am not that conceited."

"Wanna bet?"

"And how would this be proven?" Lucius posed the question instead.

Draco smirked. "By Harry, who else?"

"And you seriously think he's going to say I'm more conceited than you are?" Lucius chuckled. "You by far are the more conceited one. It's your age. It's definitely your age. My age has mellowed out some of the trademark Malfoy arrogance."

"I'll bet you anything Harry's going to say you're the more arrogant and conceited one because you have had the years to build up a tremendous repertoire."

"I don't think so."

"I do," Draco declared. "And if you lose, you have to tell Harry how you feel in a blindingly romantic manner."

"And if I win?"  
"If you should win," he murmured, "then you can name my forfeit."

"How magnanimous of you."

"I can afford to be when you're the one that's going to be losing this bet."

"We'll see about that."

**Author's Note:** I think this chapter is all right, the next one is actually not that great.  Currently it's halfway done and should be out as soon as I finish it.  The subsequent chapters should pick up to speed.  This series is projected to be around 60,000 words long and 10 chapters long which means I'm already more than halfway done.  Thank god.  I'm going to try to finish this during the summer.  My goal is to finish this by mid-June, of course I'm pushing myself because I know if I don't finish it before I go off on a trip or something or somewhere, I won't ever finish this.  Your comments are highly appreciated and thanks for patiently waiting for this.  I couldn't do this without you. 

Please review, it makes the difference in whether or not I continue to write.  Thanks.

Next chapter features: Difficult decisions, Lucius romancing, and more wisdom from Draco.  It should be available within two weeks. 


	6. Life is a Road Well Traveled

**LOVE ATROCIOUS **  
By Yih

Beta'd and translat'd by _Blackumbrage_.  My eternal thanks. 

This is correction #1.  The girl is not a mistake.  It refers to the actress that Lucius is working with.  Any other mistakes are minor and if you can't handle them, sorry.  Don't read, simple?  Eh?

  
  
**Decisions**

When it comes time for decisions

I'm always afraid

That I'll make the wrong choice

That I'll choose the wrong path

And I'll regret it

But I know if I don't go ahead

I'll be bitter for what I could have done

And I hate not giving it a go

I'm not one that backs down

Or out of a challenge

I'm the type that meets it head on

Even though I don't know if this is fate

Especially if it's _my _fate

I feel like I should say yes

Shouldn't I?

I know you think so

I know you want me to

And I think I will

Give me some time

There are people I have to tell  
  
  
  
Chapter 6  
_Life is a Road Well Traveled_

"I am deeply amused."  Tom chuckled heartily for effect.  "I thought you had this thing for Lucius Malfoy, but it seems that I was mistaken."  He was, was he?  "You probably did have a thing for that pretty boy, but you obviously have gotten past it.  That's good; it doesn't do for a man of your age to be stuck with a hopeless crush."  Another reminder that Harry didn't need, thanks father.  "But Severus Snape?" 

            Damn those tabloids!  It wasn't like Severus Snape was a Lucius Malfoy, so why had they written up about their relationship.  Harry sighed. He supposed it didn't help that he was Tom Riddle's son.  Bah.  "You shouldn't trust what those gossip columnists write," Harry chided.  "They're all nonsense and no substance." 

            "I believe," he murmured back, "that they are right about this if you're not denying it as strenuously as you usually deny things." 

            "Like?" Harry retorted.

            "Like the real reason you refuse to give up wasting your life as Lucius Malfoy's assistant." 

            If Severus was sarcasm given into being then her father was cunning infused with life.  Why couldn't Harry ever meet nice men or even know nice men that didn't have such strong personalities?  Well, Harry probably would consider them boring compared to the men in his life right now.  What, with Draco's teasing and Lucius' conceitedness, and that was not to mention her father's slyness and Severus' snappiness. 

            "It's been a good experience for me," Harry insisted.  "If I wasn't his assistant, I never would have gotten used to the high life that you lead, father.  You know that, that is true."  Tom shrugged and raised an eyebrow that said he didn't quite believe every word Harry was saying, but he couldn't deny all that he was saying.  "And why are you calling anyhow?"

            "Can't a father call to see how his son is doing?"

            "You never call without a reason," Harry shot back.

            If Harry could see him, he'd bet anything that Tom was smirking smugly.  "There's a job opening." 

            Harry's heart did a crazy jump.  Oh god, Tom was offering him a job at his company and from the conversation that they had had earlier about it, Harry knew that it was legitimate this time.  It was going to be so hard to turn it down.  But what if it was so hard that Harry didn't want to turn it down?  It wasn't like there was anything left for him to learn about the crazy celebrity life anymore.  Harry had lived it and lived it well for the last 5 years.  To be honest, he was rather tired of it all.

            "Well," he amended, "it's not a job opening per say, since when are scriptwriters ever job openings?  You always have more than you ever need  But you've skimmed and read enough scripts to know what a good script is and I do remember that when you were at University, that you had quite the creative touch." 

            Dear god, he was offering Harry a job as a screenwriter.  It had always been what Harry had secretly dreamed of, even though he knew that the chances of that happening were slim at best.  Of course, when Harry had first had those dreams, he hadn't known that Tom Riddle, the head of one of the largest production companies in Europe was his real father. Harry had still, at that age, believed that James Potter was his father.  Despite not knowing, even if Harry had known--- it wouldn't have changed anything. Harry wouldn't have wanted to get anywhere by just his father's name or being his father's son. 

            "You want me to write scripts for you?"

            "Yes," he answered, "that is if you want to.  If you don't, well you can continue doing what you have been doing, which is to skim the load of shit that we get every week to pluck out some scripts that might have merit for the senior executives to look over.  You have been doing quite an amicable job with Lucius Malfoy's movies, that I have no doubt you have an eye for it.  But I would have thought that you're more creative than that, and that with all your experience with looking for good scripts you'd know how to write one."

            "You really trust me to write a good script?" 

            "Yes, but of course you'll have help for your first effort." 

            "Help?" Harry queried.  "What kind of help?"

            "Nothing bad," Tom replied, "just that a more experienced scriptwriter will be helping you whenever you get writer's block.  Even those with experience writing get stuck when they're trying to finish a script, so I would expect you to suffer the same fate.  However, that scriptwriter, whoever it may be, may also help you write the script as well if you want  Basically, they'll be there to give you tips about how to write scenes and transitions that new scriptwriters normally just don't get. 

            "And it's not so bad to collaborate," he continued.  "A lot of scripts are written by a team of scriptwriters nowadays.  There is the matter of finding the right one to work with, though some scriptwriters have such different tones that it is impossible to get a script they write together to be pulled together to make a cohesive movie.  But whatever you choose is fine with me.  As I've commissioned a script from you, you will be given a stipend and given 6 months in which to write it.  I don't expect a ground-breaking effort for your first script, which is why I'm not giving you much time.  Just make a light and humorous story that is witty and clever enough to sell well.  Can you do it?  Or better yet, will you do it?" 

            This was an offer of a lifetime.  Harry knew his father better than to be guaranteed this kind of offer again.  It wasn't everyday that a production company offered an inexperienced screenwriter a stipend to write their first script to be produced.  It probably did happen occasionally, especially with when you had connections like Harry did, but Harry knew his father wasn't offering this because of their family link.  Harry had to have the talent and Tom had to believe that Harry had the talent.  That was why Harry was so torn right now  He wanted to… and yet he didn't particularly want to leave Lucius either.  Stupid sensibilities that made Harry love the dratted man. 

            If he said no to Tom, Harry was certain that he'd never give him another opportunity like this one again.  It simply wasn't in Tom's pride to give Harry a second chance after Harry had rejected the initial one.  Tom wasn't the type to take rejection well.  Then again, Harry thought with a slight smirk, none of the men hr knew took rejection well at all.  If anything, they would all take it rather badly.  Even he wouldn't take rejection well.  And that was what Harry was waiting for, wasn't it?  To be cleanly rejected by Lucius Malfoy.  Harry'd be damned if he was! 

            Yes or no?  "Yes, I'll do it." 

            "That's good," Tom remarked, sounding pleased with himself.  Or was it also pride that Harry heard?  "When can you start?" 

            When could he start?  Harry couldn't leave now.  Lucius was in the middle of a movie, and he wouldn't be able to find himself a capable assistant.  Actually, it was better if Lucius didn't pick his assistant.  He'd pick some beautiful bimbo that couldn't do the job, just stand there and look pretty on his arm.  No, Harry had better pick the next one out.  Then again, Draco would make a rather good one.  However the pity was that Draco had to attend University after this hiatus.  Poop.

"I have to wait until Lucius finishes the production of his latest movie," Harry answered slowly.  "It should wrap up in 3 months." 

            "Then 3 months," Tom murmured.  "I'll be waiting for you in London when you come back and we'll work out the rest of the details then.  But while you're stuck in that dreaded city of L.A., you might as well start working out some storylines that you might want to pursue so that when you come back here you can get started right away."

            "You want to control what I write," Harry stated dully.

            "More like," he responded, "I don't want to produce 2 movies at the same time with similar plotlines.  You wouldn't believe that with all the possible storylines out there that two scriptwriters can write virtually the same kind of plot on whim." 

            Well, _that _made sense.  "All right, I'll scheme."

            "That's my boy." 

Why was Harry not surprised to find at his return that Luciusand Draco were again arguing about some stupid bet they'd made between themselves?  Harry didn't know whether to think that they were both immature, or that Lucius was the only one.  Hadn't they both outgrown childish _oh but you are and oh no but you are _arguments?!  Apparently not, Harry sighed. Would they ever?  If they hadn't so far, he doubted they ever would. 

            "What are you two bickering about like two old biddies?"

            It was too like them to take insult over something that was unfortunately true.  What was not surprising was that Draco was taking it a lot better than Lucius.  He always took things better than his father.  Really, Lucius was a big baby at times.  Harry had seen it happen, when he'd throw a tantrum that could shake the walls down.  Luckily, he had never lost it in front of the public like some A-listed actors did to their complete disaster.  Lucius wasn't _that _stupid. 

            Draco smirked at him and Harry had the sinking feeling that whatever he was about to say wasn't going to be good.  There was that particular gleam that said to him that interesting things would be said and by interesting, that didn't mean it was necessarily something that Harry wanted to hear either.  Could they stay out of trouble for a few hours while he had been gone and stuck in traffic?  It appeared not. 

            "We need you to settle a dispute," Draco murmured throatily.  "It's about the trademark Malfoy arrogance." 

            They weren't going to ask Harry what he was dreading to have to answer, would they?  "What about it?" 

            "We need you to tell us which one of us is more conceited?  The younger or the older?" 

            Damn it.  They asked him precisely the question he didn't want to answer.  Harry bit down on his bottom lip.  It was really a bad habit, but it wasn't like Harry could help it when he was forced into this situation.  Harry considered them both to be arrogant pricks.  Harry didn't think he'd ever met anyone that had anywhere near the level of conceit that those two had.  They had so much of it; Harry wondered how they could even breathe.  It ought to have suffocated them by now. 

            Either way Harry answered, he was going to get an earful out of both of them.  One of them was going to be griping horribly to him while the other one was crowing triumphantly.  It was a lose-lose situation.  Sometimes, his pay simply wasn't enough to compensate him for having to put up with both of them during the summers.  If Harry didn't adore both of them to death, he'd consider checking himself into a mental institution for continuing to work for Lucius.  Another reason part of Harry's soul was cheering that he'd agreed to go to work for Tom in three months. 

            No more settling stupid disputes between father and son.  Hooray!  Until then, and certainly until Harry worked up the gumption to tell Lucius that he was leaving him to work for Tom Riddle--- where hostilities were mutual, Harry had no other option but to answer their trivial dispute.  So the older or the younger?  That was the ultimate question, wasn't it?  Neither was a great option. 

            He'd have to go with…. "Lucius." 

            Draco broke out to the biggest grin while Lucius was staring daggers at his son with his vicious villain's look.  That glare could only mean one thing: _there had to be something at stake.  _Harry should have known they had made a bet.  Why else would he be asked to settle this?  Harry was going to get the evil eye from Lucius for a while for causing him to lose on a bet.  It would be best for Harry _not_ to mention that he was leaving him until he'd calmed down.

            "I WIN!!!" Draco exclaimed jubilantly.  He went over to wrap his arms around Harry and whirled him around the room.  "Thank you so much for saying that I'm not the bigger prat," he whispered, kissing Harry's cheek.  Lowering his voice even further, he murmured, "You won't regret your answer."  Harry snorted, sure he wasn't.  "I won the bet," Draco declared.  "You'd better act soon, _father._" 

            Rolling his eyes exasperatedly, Lucius finally asked, "How soon?" 

            "By the end of the week." 

            Lucius' only response to that was to narrow his eyes even more.  Despite that Draco said Harry wasn't going to regret his answer, he was already regretting it. Lucius looked pissed, and Harry hated it when Lucius was pissed.  He looked like the devil incarnate when he was enraged.  Not that it wasn't sexy, but it made him a _devil_ to deal with.

 "I'd tell him sooner than later," Severus remarked, pouring more wine into Harry's glass at the posh restaurant they were at that had been recommended as a hotspot in L.A.  It certainly had better food than the last place they'd gone to in London.  It was good enough on Severus' taste buds that he had found nothing to gripe about, though as he sipped the wine--- he had to admit that the wine selection could be better than this.  "The more you stall, the worse it's going to get." 

            "He's going to be even more pissed than he already is at me," Harry muttered.

            Severus shrugged carelessly.  Actually, he wanted Lucius to be angry with Harry  It only made his attempts to seduce Harry away from the overblown crush he had on his boss easier, much easier.  Severus was going to take advantage of it.  It was Lucius' loss if he didn't see what a great man Harry was.  Harry had wit, and not the kind of wit that grated on the nerves.  If Harry did, Severus never would have asked him out.  When was the last time he'd actually taken the time to pursue someone?  He couldn't remember.  He was far too used to being pursued himself, either for his clothes or for his money or… for some other miscellaneous reason that he didn't care to acknowledge. 

            "It's his fault for making the bet."

            Harry chuckled.  "Very true."

            "So what kind of movie are you thinking about writing about?"

            "I don't know," Harry answered honestly, frowning slightly.  "I haven't really had much time to think about it.  I mean I've been busy all day trying to appease Lucius' temper that I've been doing the oddest errands for him.  He's been having me run all over town.  If I didn't know what a difficult prick he could be, I would say he's deliberately trying to get rid of me.  But anyway, back to the movie question, I was thinking of a romantic comedy." 

            "Typical," Severus drawled.  "It's hard to make those not too sickeningly sappy that the male sex would almost rather be castrated than put through watching it." 

            Harry stuck his tongue out childishly.  "I'm no sap." 

            "But you are gay."  

            "What's that suppose to mean?"

            " Most gay men, like women, are inherently sappy." 

            Harry frowned.  "I protest that." 

            "Protest all you want, but it is unfailingly true.  If there is a man that is sappier than a woman, he's one of two things: (1) He's so gay that he could never be straight even if he was paid to be straight and (2) He's a momma's boy." 

            "You know," Harry responded with laughter that he couldn't help, "I like you." 

Harry blushed brightly as soon as the words left his mouth, but before Harry could open his mouth to amend what he said; Severus had leaned forward to capture his lips in a quick kiss.  It was a momentary pressing of lips against lips, but it was a sweet gesture.  Harry sighed when Severus' lips left him and Harry licked his lips.  Severus knew he tasted like wine, but Harry?  Harry tasted like some onion sauce that had fouled his breath, and despite that--- it wasn't going to prevent Severus from snogging the breath out of him later tonight. 

            "You know what?" 

            Harry looked up, looking like a deer caught between the headlights.  "What?" 

            "I like you too."

"You've been wasting time," Draco reminded his father for the twentieth time in the past twenty minutes.  You'd think with a reminder a minute that his father would get the message, but no… no… NO.  Lucius still hadn't done anything about the bet so far.  If he could legally wring his father's neck, he would have.  Unfortunately, that was against the law and he would rather not have to go to prison over something as trivial as killing a stupid prat of a father.  "It's nearly the end of the week, _father._  Need I remind you of the bet that you lost?" 

            "I know," Lucius growled.  "I've been thinking about the best way to romance the damn chit." 

            "With an attitude like that," his son muttered disapprovingly, "it's no wonder that Harry doesn't even realize that you have feelings for him.  If I were Harry, I'd forget about you and go for the Snape bloke."

            "You aren't helping." 

            Draco smirked.  "Why would I want to help?  I want to make this as hard for you as I possibly can.  What good would it do for you to have me make it easy for you when you've been the poor miserable sod that deserves all the rut you've landed yourself in?  It'll teach you a good lesson, my dear father, on not being so bloody blind." 

            "You should take care," Lucius warned him threateningly, "not to offend the person who you have to live with."

            "Not for long," Draco remarked cheekily, "only a year and you know that Harry won't let you do anything to me that I don't deserve."  Luciuscouldn't help but scowl for it was the truth.  "You two act like a married couple already," Draco piped on cheerfully, "so you might as well get married.  With all your bickering and re_marks thrown back and forth_, you two would lead boring lives without each other."

            "More like we'd have a more peaceful life without each other," Lucius muttered.

            "Peaceful is overrated."

            "You are too young to appreciate it."

            "I am old enough to know," Draco retorted, "if you get too complacent with your life, that's when it all falls apart.  When you don't have to try in a relationship, it means one of two things: (1) You don't care about it anymore or (2) its dead boring.  What you and Harry have is something much more than boring.  If anything, it's a rather crazy existence."

            Lucius shrugged.  "We're in London or we're on sets together." 

            "That's exactly the point!" Draco exclaimed.  "You spend more time together than married couples do!  You certainly spend far more time with Harry than that Snape bloke does, and yet you don't take advantage of it!  You know Harry far better than he _possibly can_, so use that!  You stupid git, you've known Harry 5 years and you can't think of a way to seduce him that'll have him falling into bed with you?" 

            "I have never really thought about it." 

            "Because you're blind."

            "If you don't remember," Lucius pointed out, "I was married _to your_ mother a month ago." 

            "You should have divorced her long ago."

            "That's true," he grudgingly admitted.  "It's just…"

            "You got complacent," Draco finished for him.  "And you got used to being married to her to the point that it was a hassle to file for a divorce until you two got into a huge argument that was enough to shake the foundations in that gigantic block of brick you call a home.  That's when you decided to call it quits, and you only did it because Narcissa suggested it.  And she only suggested it because she knew she'd get millions enough to support the extravagant lifestyle that she's been accustomed to living."

            "Whatever." 

            "The bet still stands and you lost so you have a day, father, you best use it well." 

            Lucius intended to. 

"You're wringing your hands like a worried woman on her wedding day," Draco muttered, amused at the way that Harry's hands were crumbling the paper that he was alternately reading and ripping up.  "What are you so bloody anxious about?"  It wasn't like Harry could know what his father had up his sleeve, or did he?  "Harry?" 

            Harry'shead snapped up and he gave an uneasy smile. Harryreally wanted to tell someone, but he thought it would be best to tell Lucius before he told Draco.  If anything, Harry owed it to Lucius to tell him first before anyone else that he was quitting.  Harry knew if he told Draco about it, that Draco would invariably let it slip from his tongue intentionally about the circumstance that was causing him much anxiety.  And Harry really didn't want to have Lucius learning about this through second hand sources.  Harry'd rather Lucius hear it from him.

            "Is something wrong?"

            "No," Harry answered immediately.  "Nothing's wrong." 

            "Are you sure?" 

            He nodded.  "Tom called."

            "Oh," Draco responded with perfect understanding.  He knew that Harry's relationship with his biological father was shaky at best.  It was something about how Tom didn't approve of what Harry was doing for a living, since it was beneath Harry to be an assistant to Lucius when he could be much more.  But was pursuing love so wrong or so bad?  "Another argument?" 

            "Something like that," Harry muttered. 

            "Fathers are always like that."

            "My dad," Harry murmured, "isn't like that at all.  He's very different from Tom." 

            "James is a freak of nature," Draco remarked.  "He's far too cool to be a parent." 

            "Sometimes, I feel like I'm more of the parent than he is.  I think things would have been different if my mom had lived longer," Harry sighed.  "I don't think he was that immature or carefree as he was after her death.  It was like he was trying to live up to her standards and when she died, he no longer had to.  It took a while for him to breakout of the depressed mode though.  And after that, I've always felt like we were more like brothers and sister than father and son.  Despite that, he's still my dad." 

            "Why wouldn't he be?" 

            "Tom would like to protest that fact very much."

            "Even if James is an oddball type of father," Draco commented, "he still raised you for eighteen years, and ten of those he did by himself.  I don't think you turned out that badly at all.  I'd rather say, you turned out very well." 

            Harry smiled.  "Thanks." 

            What was taking his father so sodding long?  Lucius was supposed to _be here_ about to sweep Harry off his bloody feet, instead Harry was pacing back and forth in such a fashion that it was beginning to make Draco dizzy.  It was very much like Lucius to be late.  However, this wasn't the way to romance a man away from a viable Prince Charming.  If this was his father's great plan, Draco groaned to think how much further help Lucius was going to need. 

            "What time is it?" Harry asked.  "Lucius did say he wanted to meet me at 7, didn't he?" 

            "Yes," Draco confirmed, "and it's 7:15."

            "He's late," Harry observed. 

            "Like always," they both continued in perfect synchronization.  He had to smirk, though he really had no idea why Harry was laughing at it.  His smirk was more of a grimace of pain rather than any physical movement of amusement.  What Harry found funny, god only knows.  Did he like having to wait on Lucius hand and feet?  Maybe Harry did, Draco reflected, how else had Harry put up with Lucius for the past 5 years without going crazy? 

            "Do you know what he wanted to talk to me about?"

            Draco shook his head, trying hard not to let any emotion other than _lack of knowing anything_ surface on his face.  It was hard though, pretending to know absolutely nothing when all he wanted to do was strangle Lucius for ruining the one good thing in his mess of a life.  Though he did sometimes envy his father's lifestyle, there was something alluring about the parties, the premieres, and et cetera but he could do without the paparazzi.  Having seen firsthand how the paparazzi were, _he knew_ what a hellish existence his father had to suffer through.  Still, it was a privileged life. 

            "Your father is a very aggravating man."

            He nodded, had to--- it was the damn truth.  "I realize."

            "I should have known that he wasn't going to be on time, but he seemed like _he was earnest_, and well I foolishly thought that this time he was actually going to strive to be on time.  How wrong I was.  Stupid me.  I ought to have known that he can never be on time, even when he really sounds like he means to be on time." 

            "I'm sure he'll be here soon."  Draco deserved the odd look that Harry was shooting at him.  He normally did try to stand up for his father.  He was more likely to tease Harry that he was being silly and stupid waiting for his father to show up when Lucius obviously wasn't going to show up until he was good and ready to.  The difference and _the problem _was that he wanted to know where the hell Lucius was too. 

            Harry sighed.  "I really am not paid enough for what I do."

            "But is it so bad?" Draco inquired softly, needing to know since if it was… well then Lucius was going to have his work cut out for him.  If Harry was already tired of traipsing after him, Lucius method of seduction was going to have to be even more difficult than it was already getting with his terrible tardiness.  "You do like working for my father, don't you?" 

            "I do," Harry agreed, "but I feel that I'm highly underappreciated and not respected." 

            "He does appreciate you and he very much respects you." 

            "I know, but his actions don't reflect it."

            Yes, his father's actions left much to be desired, Draco thought grimly.  "My father has this ability to make everything that he does appreciate feel underappreciated and vice versa.  Take for instance, the case of my mum, he certainly didn't appreciate her and yet he spent a lot of time on her despite it.  My father has his priorities out of whack.  Whereas, in your case, he ought to appreciate you more and yet he doesn't because he's a flaming idiot." 

            Harry chuckled softly.  "You are terrible for Lucius' self image." 

            "All that I say is truth." 

            "That's why you're so bad!" Harry exclaimed. 

            Dracosmirked.  "I would say you're even worse." 

            "Well," Harry remarked, "you do have to admit that he does have to be taken down a peg or two so he doesn't grow too big of a head.  If we kept stroking his ego at the size that it already is, it'd be bigger than we could manage." 

            "That's very true." 

            "Your ego," Harry stated, "also needs to be dragged down." 

            Draco tried to look more offended than he was and he thought he succeeded until Harry started giggling.  "Hey!" he retorted.  "I'm not that bad!" 

            "You aren't as bad as your father." 

            "See!"

            "But that isn't saying much."

            Draco grumbled. 

            "So what was the bet about?  What did Lucius lose?  He looked very pissed." 

            "He's not doing anything that he doesn't deserve to do," Draco stated carefully.  "It certainly isn't anything that's awful, but he needed some urging to do it."

            "All I want to know is that is he going to continue being mad at me after he's done the deed?" Harry queried.

            God, Draco hoped not.  "I don't think so."

            "That's good," Harry replied with more cheer.  "It's 7:30." 

            "My father is infuriating." 

            "That he is." 

He was running late.  Not only was he late when he was supposed to be doing something so romantic that Harry would forget entirely about the irritating Snape bloke, he was even later than was normal for him.  Lucius groaned when he glanced down at his Rolex watch and saw that it was 8:30.  This time it wasn't even his fault that he was running so late.  The stupid director and that stupid chit, who couldn't seem to read her lines correctly, had both contributed to him being late.  And when she did manage to remember her lines she had done something to screw up the expression on her face so they had ended up having to do 25 takes of that same scene.  It was enough to drive anyone mad and he definitely wasn't renown for his patience. 

            It didn't help either that he had nothing prepared in which to sweep Harry off his feet.  It had to be today too, thanks to his son's won bet--- he had until the end of the week and this was the end of the week.  It wasn't in his Malfoy pride to ask for a day's extension.  So be it, if it must be today then it would be today.  It wasn't as though he hadn't thought about approaching Harry and telling him of his feelings.  It was just he never would have told Harry after forcing him to wait nearly two hours. 

            Harry wasn't going to be happy with him; he wasn't happy with himself either.  His son, he thought grimly would either be enraged or ecstatic that he'd screwed things up even worse than they already were.  But no matter what, Lucius vowed, he was not going to let that bastard Snape have Harry.  Didn't that blasted bloke understand?  Harry Potter was his, _his _and not his--- never Snape's. 

            "Can you not go any faster?" he growled. 

            The taxi driver rolled his eyes and gestured with the same impatience that Lucius felt at the cars that were contributing to L.A.'s toxic atmosphere.  "What would you propose I do, sir?  Have my car grow wings and fly over this jam?"

            "Yes." 

            "It's a pity that I don't have that power." 

            Indeed, it was a pity.  Lucius glanced down at his dead cell phone  It was just his luck that his phone had decided to die in the middle of the day and he didn't have the chance to call Harry and reassure him that he was indeed coming and that he hadn't forgotten.  While it wasn't the first time he'd run hours late, this was the first time he hadn't set out to do this.  Other times, well, he'd done it to aggravate Harry because it was amusing seeing Harry aggravated.  This time he prayed Harry wouldn't be too put out by his tardiness.

            "Just try your best," he muttered gruffly, though his tone was far kinder.  "There's someone I have to meet." 

            "A lady friend, eh?" the taxi driver responded with a more cheerful tone. 

            "Yes." 

            The driver grinned at him.  "I know how it is.  I'm doing my best." 

            "Thank you," Lucius managed to get out without sounding sarcastic.  He felt that Harry would have been pleased with him for managing to be polite despite the unfavorable circumstances.  And since when did he even care what Harry thought of his behavior?  _Since always_, his inner conscious nagged. 

            "You're welcome." 

            He could almost feel Harry's smile of approval.  It made the tedious ride not so unpleasant.

"I'm sorry," Lucius apologized profusely for being late.  "The traffic and that damn girl couldn't get the scene right no matter how many times we redid it.  My stupid cell phone batteries died too or else I would have called you."

            "And here," Harry mused aloud, "I thought you were deliberately ignoring me because you were upset about the bet I caused you to lose." 

            "I'm not upset about the bet," he murmured.  Would wonders never cease, Harry thought with amazement.  Not only had Lucius apologized for being late, but now he was saying that he wasn't upset when he clearly had been upset.  It was unusual for Lucius to put anyone besides himself first.  Normally when he was discomforted he made it known if only to unload some of it onto someone else.  "I'm glad Draco won the bet." 

            Harry raised his eyebrow up curiously.  "Oh really?  Are you okay, Lucius?"

            "Of course I am," he snapped.

            "You sound ill to me." 

            "I'm not, why would you think that?" 

            Draco deliberately laughed loud enough to draw his father's attention.  "It's because," he drawled, "you are not the type to be anything but upset when you're the loser in anything.  It has something to do with your overbearing Malfoy pride that prevents you from accepting anything but victory." 

            "Draco isn't making me do anything I don't want to do," Lucius murmured, ignoring his son pointedly.

            "Then why were you so upset when you lost?" Harry asked logically. 

            "Because I'm a Malfoyand we hate to lose." 

            Draco snorted.  "You especially hate losing to me." 

            Narrowing his eyes, Lucius pinned his son with a dangerous glare.  "Get out." 

            "If you're going to do it right here, I'm going to be severely pissed at you," Draco threatened.  "You wouldn't be following the guidelines of the bet if you just take the easy way out." 

            "You never said I had to do anything more than what was easiest," Lucius countered, trying to keep his words vague enough so that Harry would have no idea what he and Draco were referring to.  "And if you want me to do it then you had best leave." 

            Draco's lips curved up into a smirk.  "Not suitable for young eyes?" 

            Lucius rolled his eyes.  "More like it's a private matter." 

            "Then how will I know that you've done it?" Draco retorted. 

            "You'll know," Lucius muttered, "without a shadow of a doubt." 

            Harry was watching this exchange with mystification.  It was arousing his curiosity to know what was up with this bet.  "If you need to confirm it with me later, Draco," Harry finally inputted, "I will." 

            Sighing since he knew that he was beaten by their combined forces, Draco nodded stiffly.  "Fine, I'll leave."  As he was walking out of the room, he turned his head around and asked, "Can I use your computer, Harry?" 

            "Yes," he answered and then widened his eyes with panic, "but no porn!" 

            Draco's chuckle rang through the hallway.  "I'm not enough of an idiotic prat to use the same trick twice." 

            "No viruses, no trojans, no anything of that sort!" Harry exclaimed.

            "Geez!" Draco cried out.  "You really do think the worse of me, don't you?  I'm just going to play a bloody game on Yahoo!" 

            Harry shook his head and then tilted it to the side as he glanced at Lucius.  "So what do you have to do for the bet?" 

            "Not this," he whispered as he snaked his arm around Harry's waist and pulled him tightly to his side.  Lucius bent his head and seared Harry's lips with a kiss that burned to his core.  What was it about the men in Harry's life and giving him kisses that were fit to melt his bones?  Slowly Lucius lips left his.  "You are the most important man in my life." 

            Harry blinked.  "You're supposed to tell me you appreciate me?" Harry inquired, a tad confused.  It was a little strange for Draco to request such a thing, but then again Draco was rather considerate.  He did amazing things for Harry when he least expected it like his birthday last year when Draco had taken him out to dinner after leading Harry to believe that he'd be gone.  "Was it really that hard?

            Lucius thought he was being bloody clear.  "No," Lucius responded bluntly. 

            "Then what?" Harry asked, getting even more confused.  "What was the bet then?"

            "You mean the world to me."

            "To be nice to me?  It that the bet?"

            His nostrils flared.  Was Harry that oblivious?  "No!  Don't you get it?  I would think that you would after all, I know how you've felt about me for the last 5 years!"  Lucius knew?  Dear god, Harry's cheeks went up into a flaming red.  Had he been that obvious?  "I like you, damn it to hell you bloody infuriating man!" 

**Author's Note:** The next chapter is done and waiting and beta'd ;).  Review and it'll be posted ASAP .  How's that for motivation?  Don't you want to know the results of the cliffie?  I know you do.  Click the GO button now!  Oh… and about this chapter being not so great… was it so bad? worried look I actually think the end redeemed me?

And if you want to be part of the polling (who Harry ends up w/) join the ML (in profile), I won't say the result will be 100% what the vote is, but it will influence me ;). 

Thanks to Alicorn, **destruction's mistress** (thanks, I do try to delight), Lady Phoenix Slytherin, Xiaou Nem, Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy, Quoth the Raven, **AdrienneS** (thanks for the compliment), chiemi, **Eaiva le Fay **(I adore Draco too!  And no Sev or Luc, one will HAVE TO WIN, and children yes by adoption), Alyce of the Togas, Squrlie Jack, aerin, bakachan17, **TigerBlak** (I like having the gift of gab), C.M. Aeris Queen of Insanity, Pirate Bitch Nut, The angelic vampire, DaughterofDeath, Ruth, Hirame, Shuki – aka Quickjewel, Igraine Black, Merit Somnia, Joy Cutting, **EireVerde** (thanks), **CrazyMonkey** (oh yeah Draco's awesome ;p), Slash n burn, FantasyChick, **yiota** (sorry, if it's so confusing, don't read me and my beta try our best), Dracolover411, kateri1, **Redrum** (thanks for the compliments about the poem, I do try to write everyone as best as I can as I'm not a poet), Gia, **Mary** (enough Lucius for you?), Lindiel Eryn, Azer, gingermao, Solaria, Kathy stgqvk, SeparatriX, Winnie2, PxW, thegoddessdevi, Silverfated, Naia, **aryth** (actually I don't know who ends up w/ who), Perona, crissy, Amy, **me** (draco, it was an error). 

'Til next time.


	7. When Trouble is a Lovely Mess

**LOVE ATROCIOUS  
**By Yih

Beta'd by Blackumbrage.

All errors have been minimized as best as can be. If it's a pronoun mistake, don't bother, if it's something like daughter, woman, girl, please point it out. Thanks. My beta tries her best ;).

HARRY IS A BOY BOY BOY!!! It's a remake of an original story and if there are any references to Harry being a girl, it's a mistake. I would think the SLIM margin of errors would clue you in when he's referred to being a boy more than a girl.

**Torn**

I'm torn between  
What I need and what I want  
I know I want you  
But I need something else  
Something that's safe

I need to find myself without you  
You've been such a part of me  
That I don't know who I am anymore  
And if I don't know  
Then how can I truly love?

I've been caught up in the delusion  
That can't exist  
And I'm afraid that it's all come crashing  
An epiphany has hit me  
_I've forgotten how to love myself_

Will you forgive me if I leave you?  
Or will you curse my name  
Now that you've realized how you've felt  
And I've left you  
Torn

Chapter 7  
_When Trouble is a Lovely Mess_

Calm was the word Harry would say described how he felt even though Harry thought he should be jumping up and down in ecstasy that Lucius was finally returning his feelings for him. Why wasn't he? Why wasn't Harry being wildly exuberant and leaping into Lucius' arms and kissing the pants off of him? Now that was the big question. The only answer Harry could think of was that he was so stunned that Lucius would ever return his feelings that Harry had no idea how to act.

Harry wished he could have told himself to be calm, but he was too calm already This was the bet? So what had the bet been then? Lucius had reassured him that Draco wasn't making him do anything that he didn't want to do. But why had there had to be a bet in the first place to get Lucius to say this to him? "Is this a joke?" Harry found himself asking. "This is a joke, isn't it? Draco's sad attempt to be a funny man?"

If there was one word Harry could have used to pinpoint the expression on Lucius' face, he had to say irritation--- make that _extreme_ irritation. "This is not a joke," Lucius uttered each word as if they could not be said anymore slowly or more precisely than the way that he said them. "Do you think I'd joke about something like this?"

No, actually Harry didn't. As much as an arse that he could be at times, Lucius wasn't the type that joked around and made pranks that made Harry want to grit his teeth with annoyance. If anything, he'd be more prone to making Harry want to shut him up with all his exclamations about how great he was rather than choke him because he was telling another stupid joke. It wasn't even Draco's thing, so Harry had to conclude that despite the irrationality of it all--- they were being dead serious.

"You're serious?"

He groaned and nodded. "Yes."

Well of course Lucius liked Harry. He had to like Harry to put up with him for the past 5 years. Actually, Harry wouldn't really term it having to put up with him. Harry had to put up with Lucius. But still, if Lucius hadn't liked him a little, it would have made their working relationship rather difficult and unpleasant. "I knew you liked me, so why the bet then?"

"You knew?!" Lucius exclaimed. "You knew and I had to go about making myself into a sodding idiot thinking and worrying that you didn't know and you were going to run off with that bloody Snape bastard!

"What about Severus?" Harry inquired, confused about what he was trying to say. He couldn't be jealous like that, could he? No, no that was a preposterous thought. Simply unimaginable for Lucius to actually be jealous of Severus because Severus was courting him like a gentleman the way he hoped that Lucius would.

"You've been leading him on when you've got feelings for me!"

Oh, damn, Harry thought. He really was talking about what he had always hoped that Lucius was talking about and he couldn't have picked a worse time to tell him. Harry had already decided to work for his father because it was for the best. It would get him away from Lucius and let Harry sort out his life so that he could find himself again instead of identifying himself with Lucius since Harry had no other basis for himself.

"Harry!"

"You like me like that?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"You really _like me like that_?"

"Yes, you bloody bint."

"Oh."

He growled. "Is that all you have to say? 'Oh'? I'm confessing my heart like a bloody idiot to you and all you can say is 'oh'? Good grief, you're an exasperating man!"

"Well you're a horribly infuriating man!" Harry yelled back, he couldn't help but feel a burn to say something back at Lucius after he was taking out his annoyance at Harry when all he was trying to do was get over the shock of Lucius actually _feeling_ something for him. "You… you… man!"

"Oh that's a real good insult," Lucius sneered, "you called me a man."

"God, why do I even like you? You're horrible!"

"And Snape's any better?" he snapped.

"Well," Harry defended, "he might be sarcastic and downright mean to others, but he can be pleasantly kind and sweet to me! For what it's worth, he's a whole lot more of a gentleman than you are and far more romantic than I thought he could be."

"But he's still a fucking bastard!"

Harry shrugged. "No more than you are."

"I am not like him at all!"

"You both are proud men." Harry held up a finger. "You both are famous." Another finger went up "You both are sarcastic." Harry smiled indulgently. "Both are impatient and used to getting your way, that's two things. And you both kiss very well." Harry blushed and he wasn't too displeased with that similarity… well he wasn't too pleased either. "And you can both be very infuriating."

"We are not that similar," Lucius stated again, but knew that it was hopeless since Harry obviously thought they were alike. If there was anyone more stubborn in the world, Lucius had yet to meet them. He was actually glad that Harry was persistent because if Harry hadn't been, why would he be here 5 years later still feeling what he did for him? "And who cares about him! I'm talking about you and me, not him."

"I'm dating him though," Harrry whispered softly.

"It's not like your engaged or married to him," he scoffed.

Harry's eyes widened, looking alarmed at what he was saying. "You do realize," Harry murmured, "that the reason that I never said anything to you about what I felt was because you were married and that it wasn't right to say anything?"

"You know that I didn't love her…"

"But you were still a married man," Harry stated firmly.

"Then why didn't you say anything after the divorce?" Lucius asked instead.

Harry sighed. "I thought it was hopeless. I have had these feelings for you since, I guess, forever it seems and you never seem to think of me as anything other than your trustworthy assistant that does everything. How was I ever to think otherwise? Besides, knowing you as I do--- who knew the way you were going to react? You earnestly despise your adoring fans…"  
"For good reason," Lucius interrupted sharply, "one woman tried to grope me! Do you understand how indecent and embarrassing that was? Do you want women throwing themselves at you every single second, baring their breasts to have you sign them? I personally could do without that kind of fan adulation."   
Harry chuckled. "That's true, but there are some earnest and good fans out there that you completely ignore because of those few wild and weird fans. You do have to admit that I was right to be wary of your reaction and besides, I've gotten over most of the silly crush anyway when I realized that my dream was impossible."

Harry's throat convulsed as he continued, "I mean, you're an A-listed actor with a huge career in front of you and I'm a bastard son of a successful producer that to the world is the real son of a world traveling bum. Who would ever imagine us together, even the craziest tabloids?"

"They have speculated it," he pointed out.

Harry laughed. "They speculate about everything about you."

"I do feel something for you."

"It's nice to know that my feelings weren't entirely one-sided."

Lucius gritted his teeth. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Is it suppose to?" Harry asked lightly, thinking he had been making too many hard decisions lately But Harry had already agreed to go to work for Tom and he wasn't one to back out of a promise. It didn't hurt also, that the job Tom was giving Harry was an opportunity of a lifetime. There wasn't much that could top it, though the possibility of being with Lucius was at least on par. It was a vain hope, Harry knew, to even think that it would work out. Lucius was a hugely successful actor and Harry was a nobody. Those types of relationships, Harry knew, never really worked out. Actually nothing really worked with a hugely popular actor like Lucius was, not until he was retired and settled down and Lucius definitely wasn't ready to settle down… and there was also the Severus factor to think about.

Harry didn't really think he'd fall for Severus, but he'd done everything right. And damn it, he was falling for him, Harry couldn't help it. After loving Lucius from afar all these years, it was nice to have a guy that was chasing after him with an earnestness that was endearing. It didn't matter to Harry that he was sometimes sarcastic, it only added to the charm when he was succeeding in being romantic.

"Yes," Lucius responded bluntly, "I think it should."

"I like Severus," Harry finally admitted, seeing as that was easier to admit than saying to Lucius that he was leaving him after 5 years of being with him. "I like him a lot, and he's done everything that I could possibly dream of in a boyfriend."

"Despite the fact, he's a bastard."

"He might be a bastard," Harry defended, "but he's lovely to me."

"Maybe he's showing his true colors to the rest of us," Lucius muttered snidely.

"Or maybe," Harry murmured, "he's showing his real self to me."

"God, why do you always have to believe the best in everyone?!"

"Would you rather I believe the best in everything?" Harry countered meaningfully.

"Damn it, Harry Potter, I'm trying to tell you I bloody _love_ you and you're telling me you can't be with me because of a sodding boyfriend that you kind of like because he's nice to you!" Lucius exclaimed with a rush that made his normally pale face flush with emotion, _real_ emotion.

Love? _He_ loved _her?_ Dear god, Harry had never thought that was possible. But Lucius could just be desperate and Harry knew how dirty Lucius could play when he wanted something really badly. And that was actually making her heart melt, to know that he would play dirty to get him because he really did want him. Harry almost wished he hadn't accepted Tom's job offer now, but he had and Lucius was going to hate him but Harry needed to leave and sort everything out. He _needed_ it to keep his sanity.

"It's not only that."

"THEN WHAT?"

"I'm leaving," Harry whispered.

"You're what?"

"I'm leaving," he repeated.

"You're joking."

"I'm leaving."

"You're serious?"

Harry nodded.

"You're leaving.  
"Yes, I'm leaving to work for Tom as a screenwriter. I leave in three months, so I can have you settled from this movie that's in production and find you another reliable assistant. I'll have her trained or him trained for everything that I do so you won't be needing me or anything like that," Harry said in a rush. "I… I need to get away from this life," he waved his arms around at the hotel room that was filled with things that had to be done like interviews, rehearsals, meetings, etc. "It's not for me."

"Am I not for you?" Lucius whispered, his hand reaching up to caress Harry's cheek.

It was one of the sweetest things Harry had ever heard come from Lucius' lips, the sweetest of course being his unconscious vow that he loved him. But even though it was sweet of him to say something like that, Harry didn't know how to react to it. It wasn't like Harry ever expected Lucius to ever feel like this for him For god's sake, Harry was his assistant of everything. Lucius took him for granted, and well Harry was just convenient for him and he'd gotten used to that. Now Lucius was actually seeing Harry as Harry and that was entirely unexpected. "I'm still leaving," Harry stated firmly. "I need to."

Lucius' lips pressed to a firm line, and it made the lines that had begun to line his forehead stand out even more than they normally did. Harry didn't think the wrinkles looked bad on him--- it gave him a distinguished air. All he really needed was to put a suit on and he'd look every bit like a pissed off dictator. Shaking his head violently, he needed to stop thinking about him in terms of acting parts or of him in general. It didn't do Harry any good to daydream of the impossible, even if it wasn't so impossible now.

There was no way they could keep a long distance relationship going. It wasn't possible.

"Are you going to stay away?" Lucius asked finally, surprising that he was asking this instead of shouting at Harry of his selfishness or of his horribleness in leaving him. He was acting mature and professional, like he did when he was assaulted by the paparazzi. Even though Harry had seen the way he could act, he normally just put on the babyish attitude with Harry knowing that he could get away with it. "Because," his voice thick with emotion, "I really can't imagine my life without you in it."

"I'll be in London," Harry said soothingly. "And you're in London a lot. It won't be that much different from the way things are. I'll still be around."

"But it will be different," Lucius responded. "You won't always be around. I know I took you for granted, expecting you always to be around when that's not possible. And now you're not going to be and I don't know what to do."

"You've got a few weeks to prepare for it," Harry teased, trying desperately to lighten the darkening mood. "It won't be too bad. You've got to learn to be independent."

"I like being dependent," Lucius complained loudly.

"You're going to have to learn…"

"I know… but that doesn't mean that I have to like it."

"I'm still in London and you're there a good deal of the time."

"Not enough," Lucius responded bitterly. He looked away, his eyes getting a far off look to them and Harry waited for him to say whatever he was thinking about. Harry was patient as he always was with Lucius, but this time Harry wasn't afraid of him exploding like he would have usually done. Lucius was acting unlike the temperamental Lucius that Harry was expecting him to be and it was a refreshing change. "But even though you need to leave, do you need to leave me?"

"What are you asking?" Harry asked with bated breath.

"I'm asking," his teeth grinding together, "if you want to be with me even if you aren't working for me anymore."

"Oh," Harry murmured, too shocked that he was actually _asking_ to think of anything coherent to utter. "I… uh…" Harry really didn't know what to say, it was unthinkable for Lucius Malfoy to ask Harry this particular question when he ought to be really upset with him for leaving him. He wasn't supposed to be rational and logical like this! It simply wasn't the Lucius that Harry knew! He was temperamental and he didn't think! He wasn't supposed to know that even if Harry wasn't going to work for him that it didn't mean Harry didn't want to be with him but he did and now Harry was stuck in a bad situation of having to choose.

Harryhated being in such situations because he was always afraid that he'd make a bad choice. Harry really wasn't good at choosing. He always tended to make a wrong decision and this time it involved other people and their feelings that made him doubly afraid. It wasn't like it was just him that was going to have to live down his decision. They were going to have to suffer through the consequences of his choice along with him.

Luciusor Severus? Severus or Lucius? Why did Harry even have to suffer through a choice when he had been through a 5 year drought with guys? Why did two suddenly have to pop out of nowhere… well not exactly nowhere as Lucius had always been on the horizon and Harry had always been mad about him but… Lucius hadn't exactly been accessible because he was married and he lived the type of lifestyle that Harry wanted nothing more than to runaway from. Besides, he was Lucius and he was supposed to be unattainable. But now he was and when Harry had a good man that was after him and that he was dating and surprisingly very happy with!

Harry had no reason to dump Severus, no good reason other than that Harry had loved Lucius for far longer and that well Lucius was everything to him. Harry had dreamed and fantasized about Lucius, but still… Severus was everything that Harry had ever thought he could ever have. Severus treated him brilliantly and Harry did need him. The problem was that Harry wanted Lucius more than Severus, even if Harry knew that Severis would be better for him. Would it be foolish for Harry to give up what was likely a very solid match for a fling that was undoubtedly going to be flighty with Lucius?

It wasn't like Harry was getting any younger, though he certainly wasn't old by any measurement of years. Still, if he denied Severus now, Harry knew that he wasn't the type to hang around after a rejection. And he definitely wasn't the type to take him back once he was soiled goods from Lucius. No, and god did Harry want to be with Lucius. Hadn't Harry been having daydreams about this as long as he could remember working for him? Oh god, Harry was in a rut, a huge rut.

"Harry," Lucius whispered softly, "do you want to be with me?"

Harrywas torn. He simply couldn't choose one over the other without feeling a terrible sense of regret and longing. God, he would prefer not to be in such a position. Harry had never wanted to have two guys chasing after him, one was perfectly fine. But now there were two and he almost wished that he was back in the position where no one liked him, and then he wouldn't have to be in the position of having to hurt one of them.

"Harry?"

"I… do, but…"

That was the only thing that Harry was able to get out before he felt Lucius' arm surround his waist and pull him against him. Harry felt himself being crushed into his hard chest and when Harry could really process what was about to happen he felt Lucius' sensual lips descending onto his. Harry wasn't able to do more than whimper with surprise when he felt himself being kissed to oblivion again.

Harry felt like melting into a puddle of satisfied goo. What his lips were doing was not the only thing that was overwhelming his senses. Lucius' hands were doing amazing things to his back, caressing Harry in a way that made him feel utterly loved. Loved by him? It was a preposterous thought, but… it didn't seem so far fetched now. The only problem with the perfection of this was Severus Snape.

Harry broke the kiss. "I can't," he rasped out breathlessly. "Severus."

"It's not like you're married to him," Lucius snapped impatiently, his eyes flaring with wild passion. "You can not be with him and be with me."

"I need to… tell him before I get into anything," Harry said firmly, "and to be honest, I still don't know though."

"You said you do want to be with me," Lucius responded fiercely, "and I felt it in your response. You want me as much as I want you."

"I know I do!" Harry cried out passionately. "But what I don't know is if I need you or not. I may want you, Lucius, but how do I even know if you're good for me or not? You are as unpredictable and random as anyone as I know and I guess I'd like some stability."

"The others," Lucius replied with a bitter edge, "weren't worth my time."

Harry bit hislips, he realized the underlying meaning of what Lucius was saying but he had to ask, "Am I worth your time then?"

"What do you think?" Lucius shot back.

"I don't know…"  
"Of course… you are, you silly nitwit." Harry had thought he was going to say that it was a terrible joke and that the bet was a bet and it hadn't meant anything at all. Harry would have gotten terribly mad at him, but it wouldn't have been unexpected for Lucius to do such a thing. When he didn't, all Harry could do was stare at him in disbelief. He was dead serious and he had said Harry was worth his time. Of all the beautiful men and women in the world that Lucius could be with, he was saying Harry was the only one that was worth his time. Unbelievable.

"You are mad."

Lucius' hand reached out to clutch Harry's like he was never going to let go. "I could be cliché and say that I'm mad about you, but I won't be so utterly the perfect leading romantic comedy man. Instead, how about I say this: _be mad with me?_"

"I need time."

If he exploded, Harry wouldn't blame him. "How much time?" he asked calmly.

"Some."

"Then you will have some."

"I

thought you were pissing yourself initially, but you made a rock solid comeback. I'm impressed father," Draco drawled, leaning against the wall looking like the sexy and gorgeous model he could be. "Very impressed. Knowing you as I do, I thought after that piss poor beginning that you were doomed. Your temper is quite extraordinary and well, I thought it'd just escalate to the point that you'd explode. The fact that you kept it reined in was very well done. Bravo."

"Do you want me to explode at you?" Lucius hissed, not pleased to have his son spewing on about how bad it had gone because he knew how bad it'd gone. The only reason he hadn't lost his temper at Harry for showing such indecision like that was because he had known if he had, he would have stamped his rejection ticket. That was something he would not accept when he'd come to the realization of how important Harry was to him. "Because you are trying my patience, Draco, to the _breaking _point."

"Not particularly," Draco retorted, "but if you feel that you must release some of your pent up emotion because of your near rejection, feel free to. If you explode at Harry, it'll be a lost cause. He won't put up with it. I think that's the only reason that he's really taking you serious. You managed not to lose your temper. That made quite an impression on him as it did on me."

"Do you think it went well? Be honest," Lucius demanded.

Draco chuckled. "When am I not honest?" Lucius shrugged and gestured impatiently for him to answer the question. "Well, I think it went better than I expected but I honestly didn't expect it go that well. I mean, I set my expectations lower so that you wouldn't disappoint me. You know? Lowering the bar so that you…"

"I get the fuck what you mean, you bloody rotten excuse for a son."

"If I'm a rotten excuse for a son," Draco retorted, "then what are you as a father to me? Hmmm… what's that saying again? Like father like son? Then guess what you must be? A rotten excuse for a father surely."

Rolling his eyes extravagantly at his son, Lucius growled out, "You are not helping the situation at all, Draco Malfoy."

"I've helped out as much as I can with a thickhead for a father. What would you have done if I hadn't wagered the bet and you hadn't lost? You wouldn't have told him and he would have been gone before you could have told him."

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "How much of the conversation did you listen to?"

"All of it," Draco responded without a trace of guilt. "I had to make sure that you weren't going to blow everything. I was almost tempted to interrupt once when you made a dramatic turnaround. I'm actually glad I didn't step into it because I don't think I could have made a better finish than you did. However," he mused aloud, "it probably looked that good because you did such a crap ass initial job."

"You are wonderful for a person's self esteem, Draco."

Draco chuckled. "I'm as good as you are."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That you are just as good, of course."

"Why did I have to be cursed with an infernal son like you?"

"Because I am a Malfoy and that's the way that we are."

Lucius snorted. "I still think you are far worse than I am."

"That, my dear father, is all a matter of opinion and if you want to make another wager on that, I would only be too happy to up the stakes…"

I

t couldn't be… could it? His dad was here, standing there with his windblown hair and looking every bit as handsome as he always looked. James Potter was here and all Harry could do was drop his jaw open. Harry didn't expect him to be here. James was supposed to be traipsing around somewhere in some place or another in Europe. What the hell was he doing here in L.A. of all places? And how had he found him?

Oh that's right, Harry always gave him the address of wherever he would be in case James ever needed him, but James hadn't come to see him any place in the 5 years since Harry started working for Lucius Malfoy. In one respect Tom and his dad did share this one thing--- they both didn't like Lucius very much. Tom simply didn't think Lucius was good for Harry's future, and James and Lucius simply did not get along. Their personalities rubbed each other the wrong way. Harry didn't think it was going to be much better with Severus either. It was just Harry's luck to like the type of men that his dad couldn't get along with.

"Dad!" Harry exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Is it wrong for a dad to want to see his son?" James retorted, opening his arms to engulf Harry in one of those gigantic bear hugs that he was forever missing when James wasn't near him. Good god, Harry needed to feel his dad's arms around him and the smell of his aftershave as Harry was pressed into him. "So did you miss me, sweetie?"

"Did I!" Harry exclaimed. "Did I ever!"

"That's my boy," James responded with a huge grin. "What is it that I hear then," he murmured, pulling slightly away from Harry to get a good look into Harry's eyes, "about you going to work for Tom Riddle then?"

Harry gulped down hard. Harry didn't think he'd even need to confront his dad about this until after he started working for Tom. It wasn't that James made himself deliberately scarce, but he was a globetrotter and Harry's mom had been the opposite of that. When his mom had passed away a decade or so ago, it had freed James to do what he loved… traveling around the world. The thing was that James had loved Harry's mom far too much to drag her around when she hated it. Harry could only imagine how crushed he'd felt when before Harry's mom had died, she had told him that he wasn't _really _his son after all.

Sometimes, Harry thought that the truth would have been better not to have been told at all. For the longest time, Harry had thought that his dad had done all the world hopping around to escape him, the reminder of his beloved wife's infidelity to him. It did make sense, but the thing was that James always came back to him and when he did he always opened his arms to Harry and loved him like never before. So it couldn't be that and for that Harry was glad. It would have been terrible to have lost both of his parents at the same moment.

"He offered me a job offer that I cannot refuse," Harry answered squarely. "You are always telling me that I have such potential." It was his more subtle way of telling Harry that he could do better than being Lucius Malfoy's assistant whereas Tom was much more vocal. "Well, I'm going to try my hand at scriptwriting."

"You are?" James inquired, a pleased smile spreading across his face. "I always did tell you that your writing was really good. It's about time you listened to what your dad has been saying all along!"

"I know," Harry replied. "I really ought to listen to you more often."

"So Tom offered the job because he knows you're good?"

Harry nodded. "He did it on merit, he says, not because I'm his son."

"I don't think being his son hurt," James remarked wisely, "but Tom certainly isn't the type to put someone on the bankroll because you're a relation of his. You've got to have some talent for him to exploit because he's not about to ruin the name he's made for his production company taking on any screenwriter, even his own son."

"And I wouldn't do it if I thought it was a pity offering either," Harry retorted.

"Why would you?" James muttered. "You're better than that."

Harry smiled; he loved his dad's confidence in him. "Thanks for always believing in me."

"Your mom does too," James reminded him. "You've always got both of us behind you."

"I know," Harry murmured. "I know." Harry kissed James' cheek affectionately as he suddenly frowned. "What's wrong, dad?"

His frown only increased. "If you're working for Tom that means you'll be moving to the UK permanently, eh?"

"Of course, at least at first, why?"  
"I hate the weather there," James growled. "It's enough to give me bone chills."

Harry chuckled. "It really isn't that bad and it isn't like you're an old man."

James glared at him. "I'm getting up in the years, and so are you mister. When are you going to get yourself a boyfriend and get married and give me some grandkids?"

Harry blushed a bright red. Sometimes, he was only too glad that his dad was never around. When he wasn't around, he couldn't very well tease him could he? But the unfortunate thing was that when he was around he made up for the lost opportunities of teasing Harry by teasing him to the point that Harry almost wished that James would go back to his country hopping and leave him alone to whatever life he had. Almost. Harry might as well tell him… or else he'd find out from another source. "Well there is somebody, actually two somebodies," James' eyebrow raised with question and Harry hurried to explain the complicated situation.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the lovely reviews. I think Lucius has redeemed himself quite a bit in this chapter, hasn't he? Anyway, I haven't written the next chapter so feedback about what you think ought to happen would be excellent! I also think the last chapter will be the last. I'm not sure as I haven't written it. But unless it looks like it's going to go over 7,000 words, then the last chapter will probably be the last. Stay tune for it and if you want to vote to see who Harry ends up with… you need to join the mailing list. Also if you have already voted, you may change your vote .

The kid reference is anything you want it to be.

_Bloody hell… is the next chapter really the last?_


	8. Happiness Caught, Captured, and Cornered

**LOVE ATROCIOUS  
**By Yih

Unbeta'd. This was suppose to be longer, but I didn't have anything else to say other than this so enjoy this last chapter. It's about 60% of the normal size of an LA chapter. Sorry for any mistakes, and deal with them.

**Happiness**

Why is happiness so elusive?  
Why can't I reach out for it with my hand?  
And catch it like that?  
Why does it give me a glimpse?  
And then take it away?

If only it would stay  
And not drift away  
Maybe then I wouldn't be so afraid  
To let a little happiness in  
If only it would stay

But it never seems to stay  
It always fades away  
And sadness replaces it instead  
'Til my eyes have no more tears  
Than I can shed

If only happiness would  
Fall into my open arms  
I would finally find some peace  
And maybe then  
I would feel loved

Chapter 8  
_Happiness Caught, Captured, and Cornered_

"And so that," he sighed, "is the situation that I'm in." His inner lips were bleeding. He tasted the salty taste of his own blood seeping from his split lips. It was his horribly bad habit. He kept reminding himself that he ought to quit it because it left his lips in awful shape, but since it wasn't actually harmful to his health like smoking cigarettes or getting wired on caffeine he found it a hard habit to break.

"Would you like my advice, my boy?"

Would he? Harry _needed _it like he had never needed anything from his dad before. There was something very special about the dad that wasn't really his real dad in that he loved his despite the fact he wasn't truly his and that he gave killer advice. But he was also slightly wary. His dad had a severe aversion to Lucius Malfoy, though on the other hand, James didn't really like anyone that he was interested in romantically. "Are you going to give unbiased advice?"

"I'll do my best," James promised, crossing his hand over his heart in the symbolic gesture that meant he was going to try to keep his word.

"I do need it, daddy," Harry murmured. "I don't know what to do or even who to choose."

"I think in a way you have already chosen."

Harry blinked. He had? When? "I did?"  
"You didn't reject Lucius," he remarked, "and that is very telling. If you consider that you are in very good and solid relationship with a man that treats you like a prince, and yet you still couldn't say no to Lucius, then I think you're very much head over heels for him. Objectively speaking, I think what you feel for him has only gotten deeper over the years. Your mind knows it's risky, considering he's one of Hollywood's most sought after actors and he has god knows how many supermodels and actresses after him. But I think your heart wants him."

James was right, and that was why he had had a hard time giving Lucius a straight answer. The only straight answer he could have given him was to say no. It certainly couldn't have been yes. It wouldn't have been fair to Severus if he had said yes to Lucius when he was actually going out with him. Considering that he hadn't said no to Lucius when he ought to was a red flag. Lucius had deserved a no, and Severus had certainly deserved a yes. And yet here he was stuck between answers.

"Your mind wants Severus and your heart wants Lucius."

"What do you think?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"I think in the long run as your dad that Severus's the better choice. What dad wouldn't want that man for your husband and lover? He treats you like a prince, though he might be a bit gruff and sarcastic doing so. All he has done so far has been above and beyond what most men do when they pursue women, and it's certainly more than what Lucius's ever done for you. But you, my boy, have never been one to hide from risks, and knowing you as I do I think you're going to run away with your heart and what it wants. You always were the one that went chasing after wild dreams, and this is certainly one of them. If you hadn't, you never would have agreed to become Lucius Malfoy's assistant."

Damn if his dad wasn't saying wasn't true. Lucius was the dangerous choice, and while Severus wasn't exactly a safe choice--- he was undeniably the better choice. Even he had to admit, the way that Severus treated him was the way that most boys dreamed of their boyfriend treating them. True, Severus might have a tendency to be a bit sarcastic and gruff in demeanor but his actions spoke louder than his words. As for Lucius, the only thing redeeming had been his confession _at the very end._

"Dad…"

"Yes my little prince?"

Harry blushed. "You think I should choose Severus."

James stared at Harry with knowing eyes. "You never do what I suggest."

"And you've always called me a fool for not, don't you?"

James smiled. "I have, that I'll admit."

"I think," Harry croaked, "I'm going to listen to you this time."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

* * *

_1 year later…_

"HARRY!" he heard Tom yelling for him. Tom always seemed to be raising his voice at him. There were times when he wished that he hadn't decided to work for him. He made Harry's life miserable, but then again if he hadn't started working for his _father _as he sometimes referred to him in his mind, he wouldn't have gotten his first screenplay onto the big screen. Harry hated thinking he was using his connections, but if it hadn't been a good script he knew Tom wouldn't have used it--- son or not. That was at least comforting, though he also knew if he hadn't been Tom's son, no one would have even given his script a look through to begin with.

Now that Tom was producing Harry's script for him, and to add to that had put one of the most promising young directors on the project was another boost to his highly intellectual romantic liaison entitled _I'm a Boy that Loves Too Much_. There were touches of laughter and of sadness. It was a character driven piece and though a bit dialogue heavy, it was only conversational. It moved forward, not fast or slow but it moved.

The play was about a boy, that as the title indicated, loved too much and too deeply that it was a wonder that he hadn't given up on love yet. The first boy he fell in love with used him for his own good and then dumped him. The second boy was much better and loved him as much as he loved him. It seemed perfect. They got married, and then his eye started to stray. They divorced and he was left with nothing. That was when number three walked into his life and made him fall in love all over again. He hadn't given up on it, even if love the first two times hadn't turned out so good. The third time wasn't the charm. Their love wasn't perfect, but despite their arguments and disagreements, they stuck it out and were still together at script's end.

It was a weird and odd play. Tom hadn't been sure at first if he wanted to produce it personally or not, but he decided that if anyone was going to be able to chop it to standard, it was going to be him. Harry also knew, that his father desperately wanted this play to succeed so that it couldn't be said that he was using his production company as his son's private pathway to success. He wanted the world to know that he had earned it. And hadn't he? Tom hadn't even liked or believed in the play as much as Sirius, his right hand man had. And it was Sirius that had been an instrumental part in getting Tom to produce it. Tom had because Sirius was directing it.

"I'm coming!" he shouted, grabbing the notes he had made to the script that Sirius and Tom had already marked up. Tom wasn't a patient man, and he ought to know that when he had started working under him for his debut's production. He was a hard taskmaster and he had seen actors and actresses cringed when he wasn't happy. It was lucky Sirius was also part of the production project or else this was going to be a miserable set.

"Did you look over the notes and cuts that Sirius and I made?" he demanded.

He nodded. "I did."

"What do you think?"

They intended to cut a major scene out of the beginning and they had also fiddled with the end quite a bit. He actually wasn't that happy with what they were doing to the end, but he could handle the beginning. He had thought about taking that part out to make the film tighter, but he had ended up leaving it in incase they did want the additional character developing. He had already mentally calculated the movie skimmed over two hours and with the scene cut it would skim under two hours.

"I'd rather you didn't change the ending."

"It's more tragic and poignant this way," Tom stated.

He sighed. "I know, but I like the happy ending. I don't know," he remarked. "I just feel as if I'd rather have the film have a feel good feel about it, if you know what I mean? I mean, it has it's tragic and sad moments, and I think at the end the fact they stay together is a sweet, sweet thing."

"You are an absolutely sap now that you're heads over heels in love," Tom muttered, but he didn't sound too upset about it. Harry knew that it was because that Tom actually liked his fiancé. His father actually approved of Severus in his own way. Of course, Harry knew that no one was ever going to be good enough for him in Tom's eyes, but the love of his life was about as good as it got, Tom thought and that was good enough. "I think with the sadder and more abrupt ending, it makes this film bitingly realistic in the love relationship department. Love is not a sweet thing. It's…"

"Atrocious," Harry finished for him. "Is it not?"

He frowned, as if debating the merits of the word. "Perhaps," Tom remarked slowly, "it is."

Harry grinned. It wasn't often that Tom agreed with him. "But there are times," Harry countered, "when it is very sweet and not atrocious at all. And I want this film to show that, that even if it is atrocious at times, it's not always like that."

"Harry… that's not…"

"Real life?" Harry whispered. "I think I've experienced a love that was atrocious. To have someone, someone you love so deeply not see that for five years? I think that's pretty atrocious. I think that now that my love has been returned as it's given, it's the sweetest thing. I can't help it, father, if I'm happy and my writing shows it?"

His lips were pressed into a firm line. "You are stubborn."

Harry knew that was as close of a yes to keeping the original ending as was going to come out of Tom. He hated to have to back down from anything for he had gotten that stubborn gene for him. "I am," he agreed.

"Just like me."

* * *

_6 months later…_

Tonight was the big night. It was the premiere of _I'm a Boy that Loves Too Much_. A lot of important people were attending it thanks to Tom. And as much as he was grateful to his father, he was more appreciative of the fine film that Tom had made his script into. _I'm a Boy that Loves Too Much_ was a beautiful production that had been shot through a glorious Irish background that was lush with life and loveliness. It was all Tom hoped that Harry's first effort would be and all that awaited now was the film reviews.

"It's going to be okay."

Harry knew that voice. He knew that voice anywhere. What was _he_ doing here? He wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be in Paris for that big show of his that he had. But he was here and he'd never been happier to see him. "You're here!" he exclaimed, Harry's eyes shining with happiness. "You're really here!"

Severus smiled. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything, you know that."

"But your show…"

"It's not as important as this," he gestured to the crowds of people that were waiting for the red carpet show, "because this is your first film, and that show was my 40th or something like that." He shrugged. "I will have another show, but you will never have another first film premiere, will you?"  
Harry kissed him soundly on the lips and threaded his fingers through Severus's. "I'm glad you're here."

"I never intended to miss this."

Inside of him, Harry knew that Severus would be there. He'd almost expected it. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Severus murmured throatily as his arm wrapped around his waist. "Now are you ready for your big moment?"

Harry wasn't so sure if he was or wasn't, but that didn't really matter did it? Regardless of whether he was ready or not, this was the big moment and he was going to have to deal with it. And from the way that his father was gesturing for his to come forward, to whatever entertainment magazine he was being interviewed for, it was now or never. Harry took a deep breath and stepped forward, glad that Severus was at his side.

Even during Harry's uncertain period, when he had actually was leaning toward falling for Lucius again, Severus had been there as his steady rock. Severus had even offered advice that perhaps he should chase what has been sort of like love at first sight for him. But in the end, Harry had decided that the man that was ultimately right for him was Severus Snape. There was no one else he could imagine standing there and being there for him like he was.

"And this is my son, Harry," Tom announced to the group of reporters that were standing clustered around the famous producer. "He's the one that's responsible for writing the script to this film."

A microphone was thrust at Harry as a reporter from whatever magazine asked, "So what was the inspiration behind this? Was it based on real life?"

Harry smiled a bit nervous as he told himself not to back away from the bold reporter. "I think to a degree, everything you write is somewhat based on real life. But if the question you're asking if this is a true story, then I have to say that it's not."

"Is it true," another reporter asked, "that you and Lucius Malfoy were at one time romantically involved?"

His smile faded a little. "We were never romantically involved," he answered softly, glancing briefly at Severus to see his expression. He didn't look the least bit concerned and that made her feel that much stronger. "I was simply his assistant."

Not dissuaded by the negative response, the reporter persisted by changing up the question, "Were you ever in love with him?"

He bit his bottom lip. He was not given to lying. "Yes."

The reporter smiled, satisfied with the answer and while she could have gone further in probing Harry Potter about her unreturned feelings for Lucius Malfoy, she decided that she had more than enough truth to build rumor over. The other reporters weren't satisfied with that single word of gossip though, so a different reporter inquired instead, "Would you want to be with him if you could?"

He could have been with him, but… "No," Harry whispered softly, his hand squeezing Severus's comfortingly, "I would not. I love my fiancé very much. My life wouldn't be complete without him. There is no one that is more important than he is to me. The love I felt for Lucius Malfoy was love at first sight and nothing truly, madly, and deeply what love should be, which the love that I feel for Severus is."

This reporter smiled touched by the love that was clearly shining in Harry's eyes. Kinder than the rest of his vulture kind, he asked, "When will the wedding be?"

"This spring, for spring is a new beginning for everything is it not?"

* * *

Draco threw the tabloid at his father, who was staring at a half filled shot glass with a lone eyed look that was all too often on his face. On the very front of the tabloid was a big splash picture of Harry Potter and his fiancé, Severus Snape holding hands as they walked down the red carpet of his first screenplay, _I'm a Boy that Loves Too Much. _"You have no one but yourself to blame," he told his father the honest to god truth. "If you hadn't stuck with Rebecca as long as you did, even though you and her were only married for appearance sake's, you might be the one whose hand Harry is holding."

Lucius didn't say anything and didn't look at his son either. Instead, he drained the shot glass and shoved the newsprint out of the way. There had been a lot written up about either himself or Harry recently because of his debut film effort. There was a lot of talk going on about the undercurrent of the movie. Somehow, someone had found out about the feelings that both of them had shared for each other. If there was a name that could make the papers sell, he thought with a sneer, it was Lucius Malfoy.

Harry had been dragged into it, and though there was a smile on his face in the photo, he could tell that there was a strain to it. The debut of his first screenplay shouldn't have made headlines because of the supposed story of his love for him. It should have been the merits of his film. Lucius was afraid that his first film would only be remembered for the drama it had created rather than the drama that was on the screen. It was a pity because it was a very good film. It was worth the tears that it would wring from its audience. It was something he ought to be proud of.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Draco demanded.

Lucius shrugged listlessly. He heard what his son was saying, but he didn't really give a damn. He had tried not to think about Harry in the year or so since their relationship had taken the dead end route. It wasn't as if communications were totally cut, but whatever hopes he had had of getting Harry by his side had evaporated six months before when he and Severus Snape had announced their engagement to the press. It wasn't as if he hadn't been expecting it. He had, but he had hoped that perhaps their relationship would fall through and that he would be there to comfort Harry into his time of need.

He had had six months to adjust to the fact that that wasn't going to happen and that he was going to marry the designer. It wasn't as if he could do anything to change that fact. He had seen the way they were together. They complimented each other perfectly. And he had to admit the way that Severus treated Harry was far better than he had, at least initially. But by the time he had realized what a jewel that he had in front of him, it had already been too late. Severus had seen the preciousness that he was before he had. He had been a blind fool.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

He stared up from his empty glass to Draco and raised it. "Cheers to their upcoming nuptials. I wish them the best and I wish that I might trade places with the blasted bugger. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"They aren't married yet," Draco stated softly.

Lucius snorted. "I'm that big of a bastard to ruin something good that he has. If he's happy with him," he gestured to the picture, "and it looks as if he is, then I've got to be happy for him, right?"  
Draco's eyes slid down to the picture. "You've changed then."

Lucius poured himself another shot of vodka. "I suppose I have."

"If you had changed earlier, you might have had him."

"But it's too late."

"Yes," Draco agreed, "it's too late now."

Much too late.

* * *

_3 months later…_

"Do you promise to love him and cherish him in sickness, in health, and…"

"I do," Severus murmured.

"Do you…"

"I do," Harry whispered.

Their wedding had finally arrived. It seemed to have taken forever. The preparations had been mad chaos the last month. It had seemed like eternity before the big day had finally arrived. Harry had worried that he might not enjoy it because he was too caught in planning for it. But when the morning had come, Harry's dad and father had stripped him of his cell phone and put him in a room with a hairdresser and makeup artist who were to pamper and prepare him for his wedding. He wasn't allowed to stress or worry about it.

And so he hadn't.

"You may kiss the husband."

Now he was here saying that he was going to spend the rest of his life with the man that he loved. He couldn't have been happier. It had taken Harry a long time to get here. Nearly two years ago, he hadn't even known which man he wanted in his life. But now he couldn't imagine any man but Severus Snape in his life. To have anyone else simply wouldn't be right. He smiled brilliantly as his lips descended down on to him to kiss the breath out of him. Even now, after all this time--- he could still kiss him until Harry's knees would evaporate out from under him. And every time it only got better.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

Harry kissed him.

Severus kissed him.

They kissed each other.

And life was as perfect as it could be.

**The End.**

* * *

**Author's Note:** I might be persuaded to write an alternate ending. How did you like this ending?


End file.
